Speaking to IGIHE on the sidelines of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (FPR)-Inkotanyi Congress in Kigali on Thursday, Kimonyo said the talks consider giving Kenyan nationality to those Rwandans or repatriated them to Rwanda.
In 1940, a number of Rwandans were taken as slaves by British colonialists to Kenya to work in tea plantation in different parts of the country. As a result, currently there are about 500 descendants from those slaves living in Kenya.
In 1945, these Rwandans were given Kenyan nationality and identity cards but their IDs were confiscated 30years later, depriving them rights to nationality. They were, then, given temporary IDs that are renewable every three months.
Over 40 years in Kenya now, they are denied equal rights with Kenyans.
Among these rights include government education scholarships, opening bank accounts among other rights that a stateless person cannot access.
They have always applied for the nationality but they are still in ambiguity.
“We are discussing so that those who wish to live in Kenya can be given nationality and those willing to come back to Rwanda will be repatriated. They have spent several years in that country as they went there before Kenyan independence,” he said.
In 1980, Kenyan government had decided to repatriate them but then Rwandan government rejected them saying that they were Kenyans.
According to Kimonyo, Rwanda has embarked on bringing back her nationals and this is why the country welcomes all those who wish to come back home.
“All Rwandans living abroad are free to go back to their country and those who wish to stay there are also free to do so,” he said.
Article 7 of Rwandan Constitution stipulates that every person has a right to nationality and dual nationality is permitted. The Constitution states that no Rwandan may be deprived of Rwandan nationality of origin.
According to the Constitution, Rwandans or their descendants who were deprived of their nationality between 1st November 1959 and 31st December 1994 by reason of acquisition of foreign nationalities automatically reacquire Rwandan nationality if they return to settle in Rwanda
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