stipend of 1000 shillings under this programme, one must be in possession of a registered SIM card.12 Lost Livelihoods: Prior to COVID-19, the Nubicessing services due to lack of documentation which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The community continues to face challenges accessing government aid such as food relief, medical care and PPE. The government offers basic services and cash transfers done primarily through mobile phones which are inaccessible to many Nubians and stateless people, as they cannot register and use a SIM card without providing an ID card. As a result of lockdowns, job opportunities have been scarce and where work is available, the lack of documentation acts as a barrier to employment. This has resulted in an increase in poverty, malnutrition and the inability to acquire basic necessities. A general lack of awareness of the impact of COVID-19 and prevention measures among stateless communities and the general public, further heightens their risk. STATELESSNESS AND THE RIGHT TO NATIONALITY IN KENYA The 2010 Constitution,13 2011 Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act14 and 2001 Children Act15 all contain provisions pertaining to citizenship in Kenya. Accordingly, citizenship is mainly acquired at birth on a jus sanguinis basis, if at the time of birth, one parent was recognised as a citizen of Kenya. The causes of statelessness can be grouped into two broad categories – legal and administrative.16 Legally, there are no adequate safeguards to prevent statelessness. The 2010 Constitution, for example, states that Kenyans acquire citizenship at birth; however, this only applies if at least one parent was registered as a Kenyan citizen at the time of birth.17 The Constitution and the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act18 both further contain provisions regarding the renunciation of citizenship and the deprivation of citizenship which do not safeguard against statelessness.19 Administratively speaking, many Kenyans do not have access to 20 This is compounded by a lack of awareness of the importance of birth registration.21 In practice, ethnic minorities including Kenyan Nubians, Kenyan Somalis and the Coastal Arabs are disproportionately threatened by the risk of statelessness.22 in obtaining documents such as identity cards or passports.23 Moreover, children from these communities face a higher risk of statelessness citizenship. THE CESF CONSORTIUM PROJECT This project, carried out by the Nubian Rights Forum, entails monitoring and responding to human rights violations, documentation issues and challenges faced by the Nubian community during the pandemic. Through evidenced based advocacy, the project aims to end the government-led vetting process that Nubians must undergo, which hinders their acquisition of identity documentation. This project aims to raise awareness about statelessness and the impact of COVID-19 through media outreach utilising local Kenyan TV and radio stations and social media. This project disseminates information about COVID-19 in the community; ensuring accurate information is accessible to all. The project focuses on building partnerships and networking to improve the situation. In collaboration with Kibera Food Drive, the project provides food relief assistance in the form of small food packages and sanitation supplies to those without access to COVID-19 state relief measures. Finally, the project provides legal support to Nubians applying for their identity documents and legal counselling and mental health support to those who have suffered human rights abuses during the pandemic. NRF is a human rights organisation dedicated to promoting the rights of the Nubian community in Kenya by assisting stateless persons within the community with their applications for identity and citizenship documents. NRF trains and supports community-based paralegals who aim to empower those at risk of statelessness by navigating the Kenyan legal system. Impact Through a weekly radio show, NRF has been spreading awareness about statelessness and disseminating information about COVID-19. Through dedicated social media work, NRF has grown their supporter base and are now reaching thousands of people on platforms including Facebook and Twitter. Through their radio show and social media presence they have been able to raise awareness within the Nubian community on COVID-19, its impacts and preventative, life saving measures. NRF has gathered information on how the pandemic has affected stateless Nubians so they can offer bespoke assistance and gather an evidence base to strengthen advocacy against the discriminatory identity documentation vetting process. 28