Nairobi — The government is set to roll out the 'Shirika plan' to integrate both refugees and host communities in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps in Garissa and Turkana.
In a press conference held in Nairobi on Tuesday, Immigration and Citizens services Principal secretary Julius Bitok said the Shirika plan to be presented during the Global Refugee Forum 2023 in Geneva will help support the refugees by managing donor funding in areas of Healthcare, nutrition, housing and infrastructure.
"The government is in the process of developing a Shirika plan which intends to translate camps into integrated settlements. The plan will ensure there is social inclusion," he said.
Bitok noted that the plan will ensure social inclusivity of the refugees and the communities in Garissa and Turkana counties adding that the government has already received pledges from the European Union and various governments to support the plan.
"The American government, Swedish and German government have committed to continue supporting refugees living in Dadaab and Kakuma camps," he stated.
Ps Bitok pointed out that the government will continue to maintain an open-door policy for engagement meetings with donors and other partners who support programs aimed at benefiting the refugees.
He added that both the refugees and the communities residing in those areas will share various social facilities including health and education centres under the Shirika plan.
Deputy Ambassador of the European Union Ondrej Simek noted that the union will continue to partner with the Kenyan government to take action and positively impact the livelihood of people living in refugee camps in Kenya.
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Simek revealed that the union will commit great financial resources early next year to fund programs set to benefit both the refugees and the host communities.
"On the side of the European Union we have programs worth 27 million Euros coming up in Turkana and Garissa targeted both at strengthening the refugee communities' access to jobs and developing infrastructure," He said.
Garissa county governor Nathif Jama Adam stated that the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps will form the basis of the four years Shirika plan that will focus on eight thematic areas to ensure proper integration of the refugees and the host communities.
Additionally, he noted that the specialized Dadaab municipality funded by the county government will not only cover the needs of the refugees but also the host communities.
"The municipality is serving both the communities and the refugees in the camps to manage fire, water storage and construction of livestock markets, "He noted.
The Global Refugee Forum 2023, will be held in Geneva starting from December 13 to December 15. The forum, held every four years is the world's largest gathering on refugees.
