Kenya Reimagines Refugee Camps as Modern Municipalities

Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in Kenya are undergoing a significant transformation.

These camps will be redesigned into municipalities, fostering self-reliance among refugees and reducing their dependence on humanitarian aid.

The initiative, formally adopted by the Kenyan government, respective county governments, and the UNHCR, aims to integrate refugees into local communities.

The Shirika Plan, launching in November 2024, will transform the camps in Garissa and Turkana counties into modern urban centres with essential infrastructure like roads, water systems, and sanitation.

Subsequently, refugees will become part of these municipalities, benefiting from improved infrastructure alongside host communities. Investments will include schools, healthcare facilities, transportation networks, and modern markets.

Funding for the four-year project, estimated at US$943 million, will come from various sources, including governments, donors, and the private sector according to Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok.

The Refugee Act 2021 provides the legal foundation for this project. Additionally, regulations to operationalize the Act, and refugee identification documents have been established.

The UN Resident Coordinator and UNHCR representative in Kenya have pledged their support for the Shirika Plan’s implementation.

“For more than three decades they have welcomed refugees and are now pioneering new approaches which will lead to self-reliance and inclusion, benefitting both refugees and the communities so warmly hosting them.” UNHCR Country Representative, Caroline Van Buren.

According to UNHCR, Kenya is now hosting more than 774,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, many of whom have been living in the country for more than three decades, and 80% of them are women and children.