A man charged with fraudulently acquiring Kenyan identification documents and residing in the country unlawfully has pleaded with the court to release him, insisting he is a Kenyan by birth and has no other nationality.
Abdihakim Said Jama appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Rose Ndombi, where he argued that the charges against him were the result of a business dispute, not illegal conduct.
“I was born in Ngare Mara village, Isiolo County, to my late parents, Said Jama and Fatuma Mohammed,” Jama testified. “I am the eldest of four siblings three boys and one girl.” To support his claim, he submitted death certificates of his parents, who passed away in 2006 and 2008, both listing Isiolo Central as the place of death.
Jama said he only attended Islamic religious classes (Madrasa) and never received formal education. In 2011, he relocated to Nairobi and has since operated a business in Eastleigh.
He told the court that he obtained his national ID card in 2011 with assistance from a local chief, due to his illiteracy. “I presented my Madrasa certificates, and the assistant chief helped me complete the forms. I was vetted, photographed, fingerprinted, issued a waiting card, and later received my ID,” Jama said. He added that he did not personally sign the documents and relied entirely on help throughout the registration process.
To strengthen his case, Jama submitted additional documents, including a Kenyan passport, driver’s license, and a copy of his birth certificate. He refuted a prosecution claim that he was a Somali national.
“I only traveled to Somalia for business and did so using a visa issued by the Kenyan government,” he stated. Jama denied ever contesting a gubernatorial seat in Somalia, noting that his lack of formal education alone would have disqualified him from such an endeavor.
He further told the court that he is married and has five children, all born and enrolled in school in Kenya.
When asked by his lawyer why he believed he was being prosecuted, Jama pointed to a personal feud. “This is a business rivalry. A woman named Ayni Hussein vowed to have me expelled from the country. Elders in Eastleigh attempted to mediate, but she refused to resolve the matter,” he said.
During cross-examination, the state prosecutor questioned discrepancies in the documents Jama used to obtain his ID, particularly an ID number linked to his mother. Jama admitted the ID bore his mother’s name but acknowledged that the number did not belong to her.
“I accept that the name is my mother’s, but I can’t explain the ID number mismatch. I had help during the entire process,” he said. When pressed further, he conceded that the Fatuma Mohammed listed in the application was not actually his mother.
Jama also admitted that he had not submitted a copy of his mother’s ID to the court and denied the suggestion that someone else might have used another ID number during the application.
The court is expected to deliver its judgment on July 23, 2025
