The government has unveiled plans to create its national database of refugees in a bid to improve access to services by these individuals as well as manage the security of the country.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said this database would provide real-time data, making it easier for authorities to plan and integrate refugee information with other government systems.
Speaking during a roundtable meeting with ambassadors and other partners on the implementation of the Shirika plan, Murkomen disclosed that as of February 2025, there are a total of 829,211 refugees being hosted in the country.
“In order to enhance success to services, we plan to develop a government-owned database that will be interoperable with other government systems to enable the government a real-time data for planning and manage our security,” he said.
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) solely manages the database of all refugees across the globe.
The move by the government follows the revelation during a high-level forum on refugee affairs organised by the National Assembly's Regional Development Committee in Mombasa in November 2024.
During the forum, Commissioner for Refugee Affairs John Burugu disclosed that the country's current refugee database, which is held by the commission, is stored in Hungary.
Hungary is a country in Central Europe with its capital being Budapest.
“We are supposed to be the custodian of this database, and while we are involved in processing it, we do so as data processors for a third-party organisation. I want to assure this Committee that we are working with partners to develop a more accurate and localized refugee database for Kenya,” he explained.
He further emphasised the uncertainty surrounding the accuracy of refugee numbers reported by the UNHCR.
“We cannot fully confirm that the numbers we receive from the UNHCR represent the actual refugee population in Kenya,” Burugu stated.
Murkomen, at the same time, stated that his ministry is working with other relevant state agencies and partners to ensure the realisation of full inclusion of refugees into the financial ecosystem.
According to the CS, this is essential “if we are to achieve self-reliance".
“Just last week, I held talks with other stakeholders in the sector and in line with that the draft SIM card regulations recognises refugee ID as a document to access mobile money,” he stated.
The regulations, he said, will soon be forwarded to parliament for adoption.
On access to banking, the government, he said, is similarly working with other agencies to have the Know Your Customer (KYC) under the Anti-Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crimes Act, which has been amended to include refugee ID as a KYC document.
The Shirika Plan will be jointly implemented by the Kenyan government, the respective county governments, the UN, and the United Nations Commission for Refugees, among others.
Under the plan, the 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.
Phase one of the four-year project is estimated to cost $943 million (Sh115.6 billion).
Last week, the refugees at Kakuma staged a protest over the reduction of food rations, which was at 65 per cent in 2023, 45 per cent in 2024 and now 40 percent, with a projection to down to 20 per cent from June this year.
While the refugees in Kenya were to stay for a short period of time, they have overstayed for over 35 years.
