The two largest refugee camps in Kenya might be turned into brand-new, permanent urban hubs in an effort to relieve Nairobi of the responsibility for security while continuing its humanitarian duties.
Written by Chris Muhizi Minembwe Capital News 8:00am Nairobi Kenya Time.
With the transition, which is anticipated to take place within five years, all the refugees currently living in Dadaab and Kakuma won’t be forcibly relocated or given citizenship; instead, they’ll be given unique IDs that will allow them to legally engage in income-generating activities in Kenya as their camps are transformed into permanent centers rather than tented cities.
But for the past ten years, the camps have been at the center of debates. Nairobi had always tried to put an end to them, claiming that terror traders were planning raids from Dadaab and using the crowds to gather adherents.
Kenya had signed a trilateral agreement for the voluntary repatriation of refugees with Somalia and the UNHCR at one time in 2015. However, only 80,000 of the 400,000 anticipated refugees left the camp due to Somalia’s unfavorable environment and the fact that they could not be made to leave by force.
Kenya says it wants Dadaab and Kakuma to be open for business this time and is requesting financial support to build social amenities that will make it simpler to regulate the centers.
According to John Burugu, the Kenyan Commissioner for Refugees Affairs, the integrated strategy will resemble a rural-urban institution in Kenya, with security being handled by the government.
With a shift in emphasis from humanitarian to development-oriented objectives and assistance for host communities, the purpose is to build a planned self-sustaining ecosystem.
“All parties concerned will profit from the progress. The programming of aid organizations will need to be adjusted as appropriate to fit the new settlement paradigm. Even though they will be led by the government, these organizations will continue to be essential to creating settlements that are progressive and long-lasting, he noted.
“A wide range of stakeholders, including the national and county governments, the UNHCR, other UN organizations, donors, missions, international financial institutions, and NGOs, are currently working on a strategy. This procedure is an all-government, all-society effort to guarantee precision and correctness, Burugu remarked.