Lucy Chege, a Master's Degree holder who has been living in the United States for the last 16 years, is no longer a Kenyan citizen.
The nurse joined 29 other foreigners drawn from nine countries who swore an oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution at an event held at César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene on Friday.
A report by the Bakersfield Californian, one of Kern County's oldest newspapers, indicated that one of the conditions for her to be granted US Citizenship was for her to renounce her mother country, Kenya.
The event was headed by W. Patrick Lujan, the acting director of the Fresno Field Office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services who granted the 30 individuals US Citizenships.
The event began with taking an oath.
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen, so help me God," the 30 stated as a chorus.
After the successful exercise, Lujan formally welcomed the group to the United States where they will be recognised as citizens for the rest of their lives.
"On behalf of the United States Immigration and Citizenship Services, we're honored to welcome you as our newest citizens of the United States," he told them.
Speaking to the outlet, Chege confirmed that she was no longer a Kenyan Citizen.
"I'm no longer a Kenyan. It's not an easy thing," she explained, according to Bakersfield Californian.
In an interview with a different outlet, the nurse expressed her joy at finally securing the citizenship of a country she had lived in for more than 16 years.
She first moved to the US in 2007 to pursue university education. She later graduated with a Master's degree in Public Health.
“I’m a nurse by profession. I got my Masters in Public Health, and now, I'm a U.S. citizen,” she revealed.
“It’s surreal. I don’t know how to explain it. You're kind of in a new family, but there’s a family that you know. I’m happy that I get to do this and that the U.S. gets to give us this opportunity."
According to the Laws of Kenya, Kenyan citizens by birth who wish to hold citizenship of other countries that do not allow dual citizenship may voluntarily renounce and would be entitled upon application to regain their Kenyan citizenship.
According to the US, however, the process of obtaining dual citizenship, which may be a lengthy process, involves an application for neutralisation.
In some special circumstances, however, an individual may automatically hold dual citizenship by marriage or various other circumstances.
