The Kenyan Government has initiated progressive policies, such as Kenya’s Shirika Plan, aimed to empower both refugees and host communities and transform refugee camps into sustainable settlements.
Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, highlighted Kenya’s experience as a host country with over 860,000 refugees saying refugees are contributors to national and regional development, not merely recipients of assistance.
He stressed the importance of sustained international support in education, health, water, infrastructure, and land, warning that funding constraints jeopardize long-term inclusion and the future of displaced children.
Murkomen, speaking in Nairobi on Thursday during the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) meeting of Ministers in charge of Refugee Affairs, said that there is need to review progress on refugee protection, inclusion, and durable solutions across the Horn of Africa.
Djibouti Minister of Interior Said Nouh Hassan said the experiences that the people of Sudan are undergoing is grave.
“Our presence here is a testimony of our commitment to coordinated, ambitious, and sustainable regional solutions to deal with refugees and forced displacement across the region,” said Hassan.
He highlighted IGAD’s strategic framework for refugee protection, which focuses on access to education, health, livelihoods, and the progressive inclusion of refugees into host communities, while cautioning that budget reductions by UNHCR in 2025 have strained host countries and fragile livelihoods.
Hassan called on partners to support resilience-building and socio-economic inclusion for refugees.
“Monica”, a refugee representative from South Sudan, said, “Representation of refugees must be permanent and intentional. We are not here merely to tick boxes; we come as experts and contributors to solutions.”
She added: “Education has empowered me, but our ultimate goal remains a safe return home. Refugees cannot feel a sense of belonging while the conflicts that displaced them continue. Peace must be our priority.”
IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workeneh Gebeyeh framed displacement as a structural issue requiring regional cooperation and long-term vision, noting, “Mobility is no longer an exception; it is woven into our history, our economies, and our governance structures. We host 5.1 million refugees, 70 per cent of whom are women and children. One in every five refugees on Earth seeks shelter in our region.”
He praised progress under the IGAD Support Platform, including strengthened asylum systems, harmonized regional data, and cross-border cooperation, saying that Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Sudan have advanced practical solutions despite security and resource challenges, with support from partners such as the European Union, UNHCR, UNDP, and the World Bank.
Dr Gebeyeh outlined three strategic priorities for the region, stating, “We must sustain political unity through a clear communique reaffirming inclusion and protection reforms; strengthen regional coordination using a unified digital humanitarian reporting framework; and expand partnerships while mobilizing multi-year investments for integrated services, climate adaptation, and durable solutions.”
He added, “The decisions we take in this room will shape Africa’s broader aspiration for peace, prosperity, and shared security. Let ours be a region where mobility is effectively governed, solutions are shared, and the resilience of each member state strengthens the resilience of all.”
The Nairobi ministerial stocktaking meeting concluded with a call for intensified collaboration between member states and partners, emphasising responsibility-sharing, durable solutions, and sustainable inclusion of refugees, marking a critical milestone in advancing IGAD’s refugee protection agenda ahead of the Global Refugee Forum in December 2025.
by Samuel Kivuva
