The government has said the continuous influx of displaced populations to Kenya calls for comprehensive and adaptable solutions to address issues of displacement and identity.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Tuesday said the solutions must consider both refugees and host communities.
He said this is the reason the government is transitioning from camps to integrated settlements under the Shirika Plan.
“The Shirika Plan involves a wide range of sectors, including education, water, sanitation and hygiene, health and nutrition, livelihoods, self-reliance, social protection, environmental management and energy, agriculture, housing, land and property, and other durable solutions. All these are underpinned by a robust legal framework for the benefit of refugees,” Mudavadi said.
He said Kenya has so far assisted over 80,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in their voluntary repatriation efforts, by supporting them in returning to their countries of origin to rebuild their lives and nations.
Mudavadi who spoke at the 74th session of the Executive Committee of High Commissioners (EXCOM) programme in Geneva, Switzerland said the Shirika Plan is the government’s resolve to empower refugees and host communities, and it also embodies the lessons of the long and protracted refugee hosting history.
“I carry with me the wisdom of refugees and host communities' stories that are a reminder that Kenya's history is intertwined with migration, challenges, and opportunities," he said.
"It is a legacy that inspires our nation's approach to refugee management, that is, a commitment to transition from traditional camps to integrated settlements under the visionary Shirika plan."
Despite the challenges, Mudavadi said the Refugee Act No. 10 of 2021, contains transformative changes that align with the Global Compact for Refugees localized in Kenya through the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.
He said the Act also safeguards the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers, and host communities and clearly defines responsibilities among players, Government, partners and stakeholders.
“The Refugee Regulations 2023 will operationalize the Refugee Act of 2021, the CRRF, and other government policies on refugees. It means having refugee data hosted in the Integrated Population Registration Services Master database,” he said.
Mudavadi said the government drafted a Refugee Education Policy under the National Education Management Integrated System (NEMIS) to ensure refugees fully access education services in compliance with the Djibouti Declaration on Refugee Education of 2019.
The PCS noted that as of August, Kenya hosted a total of 644,011 refugees and asylum-seekers.
