The Composite Terrain Of Dual Citizenship Concept: An Analytical Study Of The Kenyan Model

Abstract

Since citizenship is defined with reference to a state, advances of new forms of belonging, like dual citizenship is fundamentally adversative to the formation of the modern international order based on the state. Simultaneous loyalty to more than one state is incompatible with membership built on the principle of equality of citizenship and territorial connections. In spite, the community of nations appears to embrace the concept of dual citizenship. Today, the fear of grave international frictions arising from dual nationality seems significantly diminished. To Thomas Faist,1 dual citizenship is neither an evil nor an intrinsic value in political communities. Indeed, Citizenship and political loyalty to a state that has traditionally been considered inseparable, has in recent years increasingly tolerated multiple citizenship. More than half of all states now tolerate some form of dual citizenship.2 Countries have made efforts to adopt the concept of dual citizenship in various forms. These varied forms of dual citizenship arrangements have produced multifaceted effects on the rights of an individual acquiring and the dual citizenship granting state. This fundamentally informs the basis of this study.