Citizenship is the condition of being a member of a state, country or nation.
One can become a citizen of a country either by birth, or by registration.
By birth
A person becomes a Kenyan citizen if;
- Their mother or father is a Kenyan citizen.
- They are found in Kenya when they are less than eight years old, and the nationalities of them and their parents are not known.
- A person who is a citizen by birth but has ceased to be a citizen is entitled on application to regain Kenyan citizenship. This is known as dual citizenship.
You must be a citizen of Kenya to qualify for a Kenyan Passport.
Citizenship by registration
The following categories of people qualify to become citizens through registration;
- A person who has been married to a Kenyan citizen for at least seven years is entitled on application to be registered as a citizen.
- A person who has been lawfully a resident in Kenya for a continuous period of seven years may apply to be registered as a citizen.
- A child who is not a citizen but is adopted by a citizen is entitled on application to be registered as a citizen.
Dual citizenship
A person who is a citizen by birth but has ceased to be a citizen because the person acquired citizenship of another country, is entitled upon application to regain his or her Kenyan citizenship.
This is known as dual citizenship. The person legally belongs to two countries at the same time.
Such a person has identification documents for the two countries.
Authored by Henry Njuguna Adv, MCIArb
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