10/08/2003

Kakuma camp in Kenya is one of the oldest and largest refugee camps in the world. The inhabitants of the camp suffer from poor relations with the local population, a near total lack of economic opportunity, frequent instances of gender-based violence, crime, and recurrent food shortages.

Established 12 years ago, Kakuma sprawls over the desert of northern Kenya. Its 86,000 inhabitants come from nine different countries and dozens of different ethnic groups. Sudanese comprise about 70 percent of the refugees. The local population—mostly Turkana—is outnumbered by the refugees. A large number of relief agencies and NGOs provide a broad range of services to refugees, but life in Kakuma is no picnic. Food, water, firewood, education, medical facilities, and social services are in perpetual short supply due to cramped budgets and the austerity of the environment. For example, the food rations for refugees are periodically reduced when supplies from donors are inadequate—most recently in March 2003.

Residents of Kakuma, speaking to Refugees International, were nearly unanimous in asserting that the biggest problem of the camp is security. In June this year, a conflict between Turkanas and the refugees left about a dozen people dead. The Kenyan government reinforced police forces in the camp with the feared General Service Unit (GSU), a paramilitary police force, which managed to halt the conflict, but relations between the locals and the refugees remain strained. Many refugees complained that Turkanas enter the camp at night to rob and rape. Turkanas, for their part, claim that refugees compete with them for water, firewood, and other resources and that the standard of living of the refugees is higher than their own. Within the refugee community, sexual and domestic violence is common. Security is sufficiently poor that relief workers are warned to be out of the camp before nightfall.

When asked what could be done to improve security, refugees usually called for an increase in the number of Kenyan police providing security in the camps, although many refugees criticized the performance of the regular police forces stationed in the camp. In addition, refugees, as well as NGO and UN staff, said that a permanent presence of GSU in the camp would do much to improve security. The GSU, brought in to quell the conflict in June, was almost universally praised for its effectiveness. There is presently a contingent of GSU providing security for visiting US government officials involved in refugee processing, and their presence in the camp is reassuring to the refugees RI interviewed.

The residents of Kakuma are “warehoused.” They are forbidden to leave the region without permission from the government. They have little opportunity for any form of economic activity. One estimate is that only about six percent of refugees have an income. A few have businesses within the camp; others work for the relief agencies. Some refugees have tiny gardens, but they have no opportunity to raise crops or keep livestock. Firewood gathering is dangerous. The local population—poor or poorer than the refugees—resents refugee encroachment on scarce resources. Few of the refugees believe that they will be able to return home soon, although recent progress in peace talks in Sudan has led international agencies to prepare contingency plans for possible repatriation.

With the exception of providing security for the residents of the camp, the government of Kenya has not provided much help to the refugees, leaving the management of the camp to international aid agencies, specifically UNHCR, and NGOs. The government has not permitted any serious efforts to integrate the refugees into the local economy and thus most of the refugees have been idle for years. A draft Refugee Bill, however, is coming before the Kenyan parliament and may be adopted this year. The law, as presently drafted, provides for the creation of a Refugee Department and foresees a more active role for the government in the future.

Kakuma camp offers little opportunity for refugees to escape from near-total dependence on international aid. Until such time as the Kenyan government permits integration, or conditions in their home countries are conducive to the voluntary refugee repatriation, there is little alternative to the continuation of aid programs. However, opportunities can be identified to improve the lot of the refugees and their hosts, the Turkana people of northern Kenya.

Refugees International, therefore, recommends that:

• The government of Kenya reinforce its efforts to provide security in Kakuma camp. This should include a permanent presence of GSU, as well as an increased number of Kenyan police inside the camp, and improved human rights and refugee law training for the police.



• Humanitarian and economic aid to the local Turkana population be increased. The Turkana are poor and the refugees have better access to education and social services than they do. UNHCR, WFP, and some NGOs have assistance programs for the local population. These programs should be expanded to improve relations between refugees and locals, including, whenever possible, joint access to schools and social and health services.



• Donors ensure that adequate food is available to provide full rations to the residents of Kakuma. There is no excuse for the recurrent food shortages that affect the security of the camp as well as the well-being of the refugees. The demand for food for Kakuma is predictable and donors should ensure that WFP has adequate resources to meet the needs.



• Donors, UNHCR, and civil society organizations encourage the efforts of the Kenyan government to play a more proactive role in refugee management and setting refugee policy that is consistent with international refugee and humanitarian law. International agencies, particularly UNHCR, should respond to the need of the government for training and technical assistance in implementing the Refugee Law, and should provide support to the fledgling Refugee Department.