New programme set to catalyse development in Turkana’s Kalobeyei settlement

Refugees in Turkana County are set to benefit from a Sh1.6 billion programme aimed at improving living conditions of the refugees and the host community as part of a long term solution to the refugee crisis in the country.

The programme funded by the European Union and targeting Kalobeyei refugee settlement will also see hosting communities benefit from economic and social development projects and is set to run for three years.

Speaking during the programme launch at the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Nairobi, Turkana County Governor Josephat Nanok said that the upcoming Kalobeyei settlement area will be an attempt to better take into consideration the long-term interests of host populations, bringing together humanitarian and development efforts under the leadership of the Kenyan Government and County authorities.

“This being the first pilot to this initiative, we hope that it is something that can be adopted globally. We have severe drought and the reason we did not come up among the top 10 most affected counties is because of intervention programmes like this which have helped to cushion us from its adverse effects,” said Nanok.

The governor added that Kenya hosts an estimated 495,000 refugees, of which over 160,000 are hosted in Kakuma, Turkana County saying that the new programme will promote a new way of working, placing refugees on the development agenda and contributing to an inclusive approach to managing protracted displacement and promoting durable solutions for refugees and host communities.

On his part, UN Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee said that the objective of the programme was to improve health standards for the host communities and refugees in Kalobeyei, increase food and nutrition security and promote economic opportunities.

He further noted that the programme will increase school enrolment for children, improve child safety and wellbeing and enhance social cohesion between refugees and host communities.

“All we need to do is use our resources to work with the national and county governments to ensure that normative disconnects are bridged to ensure sustainable development for all,” said Chatterjee.

Speaking at the same event, EU head of Development Cooperation Erik Habers said that the support will go towards interventions that promote self-reliance, through better livelihood opportunities and enhanced service delivery, building up resilience, and seeking long-term solutions to refugees.

“We hope to enhance protection for refugees and host communities and catalyse development in Kalobeyei settlement so that it becomes a place in which refugees and the host communities live peacefully together, have access to social services and develop economic ties to build sustainable livelihoods,” said Habers.