Garissa leaders demand national refugee policy to address mounting challenges

A day after the National Assembly’s Regional Development Committee visited Dadaab, one of the largest refugee camps in the country, leaders from Garissa County voiced concerns over the increasing refugee population in Kenya’s Dadaab camp. During the meeting in Mombasa, they highlighted the adverse effects on local communities and resources.

The forum, attended by key stakeholders in refugee affairs, highlighted the urgent need for a national policy to manage the challenges posed by the high influx of refugees into the country.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama stressed the impact of the large refugee presence on local communities, particularly in Garissa, where the Dadaab refugee camp, home to nearly 500,000 refugees, has resulted in increased insecurity and environmental degradation.

“We face major issues as a country regarding refugees, and this forum has brought these issues to the fore,” he said.

He called upon the government and stakeholders to devise policies that would effectively address the matter, noting that it has had “immense effects on the residents of our county and the nation as a whole.”

Governor Nathif urged his colleagues in the National Assembly to consider the issues raised at the forum and create a more conducive environment for sustainable refugee management in the country.

“The presence of such a large refugee population has led to issues from land disputes and wildlife poaching to severe environmental damage,” he noted.

According to him, the ongoing strain on local resources and increased insecurity have disrupted the lives of residents in Garissa and surrounding areas.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama. (Farhiya Hussein)

Garissa Township MP Dekow Barrow echoed these sentiments, lamenting the lack of development in the region due to the refugee camps’ impact on local resources.

“We had serious discussions today about refugees and their impact on the country, especially in our region,” he said.

Adow highlighted that, although Kenya has hosted refugees for over 30 years, no comprehensive policy exists to manage the refugee population effectively. “UNHCR has essentially taken control of part of our country, overseeing a population of almost 800,000 refugees without significant input from the national government.”

Adow appealed to the international community to uphold its responsibility in managing refugee affairs, calling for the immediate development of a structured policy to address the needs and impact of refugees.

“We need a reliable database of refugees in this country, which currently does not exist,” he stated.

Adow also pointed out the UNHCR’s reliance on contracts that supply firewood to refugees, contributing to severe environmental degradation in Garissa.

“The UNHCR must find an alternative source of energy for the camps to prevent further harm to our environment,” he added, describing the situation as “dire” and questioning why the Kenyan government has not intervened more decisively.

Adow raised additional concerns over the international community’s recent plans, under the Ushirika Plan, to phase out funding for refugees in Kenya. He argued that shifting the burden of supporting refugees onto host communities without sustainable alternatives is problematic, especially in a region where unemployment among local youth remains high.

“Our youth themselves are struggling to find jobs; how do we expect refugees to sustain themselves without support?” he posed.

He emphasised that the people of Garissa have shown generosity over the years in hosting refugees but are now seeking tangible support and compensation. “For 32 years, we have been generous enough, hosting refugees without any compensation from the United Nations, which has a responsibility to protect and care for refugees around the world.”

Chair of the Regional Development Committee, Peter Lochakapong stressed the importance of accurate refugee data to inform policy decisions. Over the past two weeks, Lochakapong’s committee conducted fact-finding visits to the Kakuma and Dadaab camps to assess the conditions of refugees, stakeholder activities, and the well-being of host communities.

His committee is preparing a report, which will be presented to the National Assembly, containing recommendations for more effective refugee management.

During the committee’s visit to the camps, Lochakapong noted various issues raised by the host communities, including land conflicts, environmental degradation, and security challenges.

Residents also expressed concerns about the disparity in services provided to refugees compared to local citizens, competition for scarce resources, and underfunding of Kenya’s Department for Refugee Services.

“Kenya has hosted refugees for more than three decades, yet there has been no assessment of the environmental, social, and political impact on the country,” Lochakapong said.

National Assembly Regional Development Committee while in Mombasa during a high level stakeholders forum discussing issues related to refugees. (Farhiya Hussein)

The Commissioner for Refugee Affairs at the Department for Refugee Services (DRS), John Burugu, noted that Kenya currently lacks a policy framework for refugee management, leaving the country ill-equipped to handle the increasing refugee population.

He criticised the absence of a national refugee database, saying, “The country does not own a reliable database for managing refugees.”

The system used to register and manage refugee data is owned and maintained by the UNHCR, with servers based in Hungary, raising concerns about national oversight and data security.

Burugu emphasised the need for Kenya to take control of refugee data management and explained that his department has recently partnered with a US agency, the Population Refugee System, to develop a secure refugee data platform. “Once we establish this database, we can begin verification processes to ensure more accurate records.”

However, Burugu warned of potential security risks, citing cases where refugees had used refugee documentation to conduct financial transactions and even travel outside the country, which he described as “a serious security breach.”

Burugu also highlighted the absence of refugee data in Kenya’s national statistics, managed by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). This gap, he argued, poses a significant challenge in resource allocation and planning.

“Kenyan taxpayers are supporting refugee access to education and healthcare, but we have no comprehensive statistical data on these populations,” he said, emphasising the need for refugee information to be included in the country’s official records.

Participants at the forum also discussed the Refugee Act 2021, which has not yet been fully implemented, further complicating efforts to manage refugee affairs in the country.

The Garissa leaders concluded by calling on the national government to expedite the development of a structured refugee management strategy, with input from both local and international stakeholders.

“Addressing the refugee situation in Kenya requires a holistic approach, one that protects the rights of refugees while also safeguarding the well-being and sustainability of the host communities,” Adow noted.

The forum’s resolutions highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to Kenya’s refugee challenge, involving collaboration among governments, humanitarian organisations, and local communities to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees while promoting their integration and self-reliance.

The leaders agreed that the time is ripe for a robust refugee management policy to address the social, economic, and environmental pressures posed by the increasing refugee population in Kenya.