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Refugees given 30 days to collect unclaimed ID cards

Dadaab Refugee Camp. (Photo: PHIL MOORE | AFP)

By Mary Wambui | Friday, February 16, 2024

Kenya is the fifth largest refugee-hosting country in Africa and the thirteenth largest asylum country in the world.

Refugees living in Kenya have 30 days to collect 12,750 identity cards lying uncollected in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret and other camps in the North Eastern region.

The Commissioner of Refugees Affairs John Mburugu on Friday said the cards are lying at the joint service centre along General Mathenge Road (507), Mombasa Office (2,302), Nakuru Office (823), Eldoret office (717), Dadaab Refugee Complex (6,099) and Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei settlement (2,302).

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Kenya is the fifth largest refugee-hosting country in Africa and the thirteenth largest asylum country in the world, with over 650,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers.

The majority reside in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps as over 91,000 others are hosted in other urban counties mainly Nairobi.

Last year, the Ministry of Interior announced plans to close the two camps over security concerns by transitioning the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps into integrated settlements in which refugees will co-exist with host communities and benefit from government services.

An intergovernmental steering committee was launched to align the transition plan with the country's national security priorities amongst them the Refugee Act (2021) that outlines the refugees' and asylum seekers' privileges, opportunities and occasions when such shall be withdrawn.

The Act, which was gazetted two weeks ago now gives room for ensuring full implementation, enhanced rights and refugees' inclusion in Kenya.

According to it, all registered refugees will enjoy a right to civil registration and identification that is sufficient to identify them as refugees or asylum seekers.

At the same time, the state also appointed and gazetted members of the Refugee Advisory Committee composed of representatives from key ministries to primarily advise the Cabinet Secretary for Interior on national policies relating to refugees and cater to their emergencies.

They are; Burugu (Chairman), Mercy Mwaseru (Interior), Anstacia Osundwa (Foreign Affairs), Adan Harakhe (Health), Joseph Kimemia (Treasury), Hanna Muchiri (Devolution), Paul Kibet (Education), Nely Lodian (AG's office) and Richard Githua (Immigration), Duncan Githua (NPS) and Eugene Lawi (COG).

These happenings are part of the preparations for the transition of the country's refugee camps into integrated settlements whereby refugees will co-exist with host communities and benefit from government services.

The preparations also involve heightening border security and screening of persons at the points of entry to prevent an influx of more refugees into the country.

Additionally, security enforcement of law and order in the Dadaab and Kakuma settlement areas has been enhanced ahead of the planned closure of the two camps over security concerns.