NAIROBI Kenya, March11, 2025 -The humanitarian support to refugees in Dadaab, Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps will not be affected after the US lifted the ban on humanitarian funding.
Concerns had been raised over the security and welfare issues due to dwindling resources but the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday assured the refugees that they will not be affected.
The CS spoke after a closed door meeting with various ambassadors, High Commissioners, and heads of international financial institutions in Nairobi where he also lauded the continued support from our humanitarian assistance partners, amid the changing donor funding policies.
He added that the donor’s commitment remains vital in easing the burden that Kenya carries by hosting refugees who now number more than 800,000, and also commended the US government for lifting the ban on humanitarian funding.
The CS and the envoys also said the planned Shirika Plan, which seeks to integrate refugees in the daily economic life of the country, will be beneficial, not only to refugees, but also the host communities and the country at large.
“Public participation and fine-tuning of the legal and regulatory framework, which are crucial for the success of the Shirika Plan, are underway,” the CS said.
The meeting was attended by the US Embassy Charge ď Áffaires and Chair Refugee Donor Group Amb. Marc Dillard, the UN Resident Coordinator Dr Stephen Jackson, UNHCR Country Representative Caroline Van Buren, and PS for Immigration and Citizen Services Prof Julius Bitok and other ministry officials.
Under the Shirika Plan, Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps will be redesigned into municipalities to reduce reliance on humanitarian help from host governments by refugees.
As municipalities in the proposed integration, the current refugee camps will be restructured into modern urban centers with the requisite infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer systems and other necessities.
As a result, refugees will be absorbed into municipalities within the host communities, and the latter will benefit from enhanced socioeconomic investments, including schools, health facilities, roads, and modern markets.
To anchor the integration, the Turkana and Garissa county governments have also gazetted Dadaab and Kakuma as municipalities to anchor the necessary planning and infrastructure upgrading.
The settlements will be repurposed to favour mobility, freedom of movement, economic inclusion, and refugee participation in the country’s development processes.
The integration of refugees among host communities will enhance local and national security.
“It represents an innovative approach to refugee camps into integrated settlements that support the social economic inclusion of refugees and host communities thereby enhancing national security and cohesion,” Immigration Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok said.
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