Curfew imposed at Kakuma Refugee Camp as protests over food and water escalate
Deputy Camp Manager Sylvester Kuya announced that movement in and out of the camp during curfew hours would not be allowed.
Authorities have imposed a curfew from 6 pm to 7 am at Kakuma Refugee Camp following ongoing protests over food and water shortages. Security patrols have also been intensified to maintain order.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confirmed that the protests had worsened the humanitarian situation at both Kakuma and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, disrupting essential services, including healthcare, water supply, and food distribution.
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Deputy Camp Manager Sylvester Kuya announced that movement in and out of the camp during curfew hours would not be allowed.
“Violation of this order will result in detention, with exceptions reserved for medical emergencies and authorised personnel,” he said.
According to Nanduri Sateesh, head of the Kakuma sub-office at UNHCR Kenya, the protests began on Friday last week when refugee representatives submitted their petition for action.
However, demonstrations persisted, affecting efforts to restore three boreholes that are crucial for water distribution.
He urged refugees to protest peacefully to avoid disrupting services such as learning, healthcare, and food distribution.
“If you have to protest, do it peacefully so that you won’t interrupt services like learning activities, repairing boreholes, distribution of food by the World Food Programme, and access to healthcare services. The solution can’t be gotten in a day. We will consult with 53 partners working to ensure all 300,000 refugees and the host community receive the basic services to address the issues raised,” Sateesh stated.
Regarding healthcare concerns, Sateesh said that missing drugs were in the procurement process and assured that facilities would be stocked with essential medicines within three weeks.
He also attributed the unrest to misinformation, promising to hold public forums to clarify issues.
“Shirika plan has not come to force refugees to be Kenyans. It’s all about the socioeconomic inclusion of refugees where all services that are available in the 55 schools, 24 boreholes, and 27 clinics will be integrated and not stopped,” he explained.
The protests, which escalated on February 28 and March 3, saw refugees from various nationalities, including South Sudanese, Somalis, Ethiopians, Congolese, and Rwandans, take to the streets.
“We are given only three kilogrammes of cereal per month, which is not enough. When we came to seek answers from UNHCR on Friday, no one was willing to address us. We are suffering in Kakuma,” said Rita Namembe, a refugee.
She added that women, orphans, widows, and the elderly were among the most affected due to the scarcity of food and water.
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