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From refugee camps to thriving municipalities: Kenya's Innovative Approach to Urbanization


An aerial view of Kalobeyei Settlement in Turkana County. June 2021. @Dream Magical Studio 


Kalobeyei/Garissa, Kenya, 11 October 2023 — Located in the arid expanses of East Africa, Turkana and Garissa counties in Kenya have long been grappling with a web of interconnected challenges - the harsh impact of climate change, witnessing unpredictable weather patterns, debilitating droughts, and heightened food insecurity. At the same time, they have been receiving refugees for three decades, escaping conflicts in neighboring Eastern African countries. The confluence of climate change and refugee influx has strained resources and generated an unequal distribution, leaving both displaced and host communities struggling. These challenges have been historically addressed through temporary solutions, excluding the host community from aid programs and consequently failing to adequately meet the needs of both displaced and host populations in the counties. 

 

Kenya ranks among Africa's top refugee-hosting countries, currently hosting about 700,000 refugees. Most of them are concentrated in the crowded Dadaab Refugee Complex and Kakuma Refugee Camp which symbolize the scale of the challenges deriving from the fact that they were built to answer immediate needs in times of emergency but have now outlived their capacities. Turkana County is one of Kenya's poorest regions and faces a harsh, arid climate. The traditionally nomadic Turkana people have been transitioning to settled lifestyles, driven by climate-induced changes and resource deprivation, however, this has led to several challenges in terms of water provision, shelter, and self-reliance.  Climate change effects are evident, including a 10% increase in the size of Lake Turkana over a decade and significant flooding in low-lying lakeshore areas. 



A busy street in Ethiopia Market, Kakuma Refugee Camp. 2021. @Dream Magical Studio 


The prolonged presence of refugees in northern and northeastern Kenya showcases the complexity of protracted displacement contexts, emphasizing the need for long-lasting, fair solutions that leave no one behind. The international community is increasingly moving away from short-term crisis responses to adopting integrated practices that address the enduring needs of displaced populations and the communities hosting them.  

 

Kenya is pioneering this shift. The Government of Kenya has taken significant steps by introducing a multi-year plan promoting the socio-economic inclusion of refugees by shifting from refugee camps to integrated settlements. This year, Turkana and Garissa Counties conferred the status of municipalities to Kakuma and Dadaab, which now include the towns, settlements, and refugee camps and their populations within their boundaries. This signifies a renewed commitment to integrating refugees and it helps in bolstering financial support, infrastructure, and services to address both short-term humanitarian needs and long-term development goals, in alignment with the principles of the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

 

“The way forward for our country and for the counties, in particular, is the municipalities. That is where the action is supposed to take place. That is where a lot of funding is supposed to go to. Indeed that is why we as key stakeholders of devolution believe by creating this municipality we are also devolving devolution further,”– Mr. Nathif Jama, Governor of Garissa County.  

 

 

“Through Garissa Integrated Socio-Economic Development Programme (GISEDP), we look forward to economically integrating refugees and the host community by ensuring opportunities to work, live and do business without restrictions. Pursuing economic empowerment.”  

- Ms. Udgoon Siyad, Garissa County Woman Representative. 

 

UN-Habitat, making use of urban and spatial planning to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development activities, is striving towards long-term approaches that prioritize planning and urban development over traditional temporary camps. Over the past decade, UN-Habitat has collaborated with the Governments of Kenya, Garissa, Turkana Counties, and United Nations agencies to provide durable solutions amidst protracted displacement. Since 2016 UN-Habitat has been actively supporting the development of integrated urban settlements in the two counties, leading urban infrastructure and planning activities for improved service provision and self-reliance in the existing over-capacity camps, bolstering resilience in livelihoods and climate change adaptation. These efforts have also gone towards strategizing the creation of an economic enterprise zone through business forums, cross-border collaboration and economic networks enabling access to a wider choice of goods, finance, employment, and investment opportunities, leading to increased income and economic activities that can be harnessed by both refugees and host communities. 


Community Members in Kakuma, During the Regeneration Strategy Prioritization Workshop on 1.  

9 October, 2022. @Thabit Photograph 

 

  • UN-Habitat has been collaborating with the Government of Japan, the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) Africa, the Cities Alliance, and the Swiss Development Agency throughout these efforts.  

  • UN-Habitat works closely with UNHCR, the Government of Kenya, the Turkana County Government, and the Garissa County Government as the technical focal point for the working group on spatial planning and infrastructure.  

  • UN-Habitat is currently implementing a project ‘Emergency Response to Drought and Natural Disasters and Improvement of Socio-economic Conditions in Kalobeyei’ together with Kenya Red Cross (KRC) and through the Government of Japan's Supplementary Budget (JSB).  

  • UNH has recently launched the Kakuma Regeneration Strategy, providing recommendations on localized actions for achieving durable solutions in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County. The publication is the result of a collaborative effort involving the Turkana County Government, the Department of Refugees Services (DRS), and United Nations partners. The Dadaab Regeneration Strategy will follow this month.  

 

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