Support Needed Now: Kenya’s Refugee Reforms Face Major Funding Shortfall

Support Needed Now

Kenya’s ambitious refugee reform agenda is at a critical crossroads. An influential advocacy group has raised alarm over dwindling donor funding, calling for sustained support to avoid a humanitarian and policy backslide. At the heart of this request is Kenya’s transition from the traditional camp-based refugee system to integrated settlement models like Kalobeyei which aim to restore dignity, boost self-reliance and foster peaceful co-existence between refugees and host communities.

Yet without urgent financial intervention these transformative efforts face collapse.

The Funding Crisis Undermining Refugee Integration

Despite international praise for its Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and progressive refugee policies, Kenya currently confronts a severe funding shortfall. According to recent data from UNHCR Kenya, the country’s refugee programs are only 41% funded as of mid-2025, threatening services ranging from education and healthcare to food distribution in Dadaab, Kakuma, and Kalobeyei.

 “The current donor fatigue is devastating,” warned the advocacy group Refugee Rights Kenya (RRK). “If support continues to decline, the burden will fall on already stretched host communities through dangerous implications for both stability and security.”

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Kenya’s Refugee Reforms: What’s at Stake?

Kenya hosts over 570,000 refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Reforms in the Refugee Act 2021 promised:

• Transition from encampment to integration via settlement models (e.g., Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement in Turkana County).
• Enhanced refugee rights to work, education and health.
• Promotion of self-reliance through livelihoods programs.
• Better alignment by universal frameworks like the International Compact on Refugees.

However, such reforms hinge on sustained donor support, political goodwill and multi-sectoral collaboration.

Broader Implications of Inaction

Failure to fund refugee reform programs could trigger a multifaceted crisis:

Humanitarian Breakdown:

• Cuts to WFP rations already leave several in Dadaab and Kakuma hungry.
• Schools and clinics are scaling down operations.

Regional Destabilization:

• Prolonged neglect may lead to increased tensions between refugees and host communities, especially in resource-scarce counties like Turkana and Garissa.

Lost Growth Gains:

• Economic presence initiatives risk reversal, affecting mutually refugees and host populations.
• Stalled reforms undermine Kenya’s international credibility as a model host country.

What Advocacy Groups Are Demanding

Advocacy organizations are rallying for:

1. Immediate Emergency Funding

• To maintain food, healthcare and shelter services in the short term.

2. Sustainable Long-Term Support

• Encouraging multi-year funding commitments from traditional donors (EU, US, UK) and newer players like Gulf states and private sector donors.

3. Policy Backing and Diplomacy

• Urging Kenyan authorities to stay the course despite budgetary strains and community pressure.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

“Kenya’s integrated approach is a blueprint for sustainable refugee management across Africa,” says Dr. Lydia Kimathi, a migration policy expert. “If donors walk away currently we risk reinforcing a broken system of dependency and encampment.”

Real-World Impact: Kalobeyei at Risk

Launched in 2016, the Kalobeyei Settlement was heralded for integrating over 44,000 refugees and locals through shared schools, health centers, and economic hubs. Yet in 2025:

• Only 52% of businesses funded under refugee livelihoods programs stay operational.
• Water access has dropped by 28% due to infrastructure breakdowns.

What Can Be Done? Solutions Moving Forward

Diversify Funding Sources

• Engage private sector CSR programs, philanthropic foundations and diaspora networks.

Strengthen Local Ownership

• Increase investment in host community growth to avoid resentment.

Worldwide Advocacy

• Push for international solidarity via the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum and African Union platforms.

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