Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to safe, orderly, and development-oriented migration, spotlighting the Shirika Plan as a transformative model for refugee management that emphasizes self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during the High-Level Segment of the 116th International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Council Session in Geneva, Permanent Representative Ambassador Dr. Fancy Too outlined Kenya’s strategy for integrating refugees into host communities.
“To strengthen management of these population, Kenya launched the Shirika Plan in March this year, a flagship Transformative Model for refugee responses from humanitarian aid to self-reliance, socio-economic inclusion, and integrated development,” the statement reads in part.
Anchored in the Refugees Act of 2021 and other enabling laws, the Shirika Plan operationalises Kenya’s vision of shared prosperity for refugees and host communities.
Its objective is to promote self-reliance through livelihoods, job creation, financial inclusion, and market access.
It also aims to transition refugee hosting areas into integrated settlements, strengthen social cohesion and shared development, build resilience by improving access to national systems such as education, health, civil registration, and justice, and reduce long-term aid dependency through multi-stakeholder investments and sustainable service delivery mechanisms.
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Key achievements of the plan include piloting the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement and the ongoing establishment of integrated settlements in Garissa and Turkana.
About Shirika Plan
The initiative has expanded collaboration with development partners, including banks, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), IOM (International Organisation for Migration), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and the private sector.
The plan also strengthens documentation and registration processes to ensure legal identity and access to rights, while implementing pilot programmes on financial inclusion, public works, vocational training, and climate-resilient agriculture.
“Overall, the Shirika Plan illustrates how targeted investment in communities affected by mobility directly advances the migration development agenda by stimulating local economic growth, strengthening social cohesion, and reducing vulnerabilities.”
Amb. Too emphasised that Kenya continues to shoulder significant responsibilities as a host of over a million migrants, including 849,625 refugees and asylum seekers, spread across camps, urban areas, and integrated settlements.
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She called for deeper international partnerships, predictable long-term financing, and support for skills partnerships that match labour market demands.
In closing, the statement reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to ensuring that migration remains safe, orderly, and transformative: “Through GCM and the Shirika Plan, and broader national reforms, we demonstrate that with vision, collaboration, and political leadership, migration can be transformative not only for migrants, but also for host communities.”
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