Govt allays fears Shirika Plan will give Kakuma, Daadab refugees voting rights » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 26 – The government has affirmed that the Shirika plan set to integrate both refugees and host communities will not give Kakuma and Daadab refugees voting rights.

Immigration and Citizens services Principal secretary Julius Bitok said the plan does not grant citizenship status to the refugees residing in Kakuma and Daadab camps in Turkana and Garissa counties.

The Shirika plan aims to ensure social inclusion through translating the refugee camps into integrated settlements.

The plan also intends to support the refugees by managing donor funding in areas of Healthcare, nutrition, housing and infrastructure.

The resettlement of over 700,000 refugees in Daadab and Kakuma camps inched closer to reality after key stakeholders formally adopted the planned integration with local communities in June this year.

PS Bitok noted that the government is mobilising resources needed to implement the Shirika Plan with phase one of the four-year project estimated to cost $943 million (Sh115.6B).

He said the Plan will be jointly implemented by the Kenyan government, the respective county governments, the UN, and the United Nations Commission for Refugees, among others.

“This money will come from different partners and donors, including governments and the private sector. It will be channeled not only through the government but also through international NGOs, county governments, ministries, and departments such as the Ministry of Lands,” he said.

Under the plan, the refugees will be absorbed into municipalities within the host communities, and the latter will benefit from enhanced socio-economic investments, including schools, health facilities, roads, and modern markets.

To anchor the integration, the Turkana and Garissa county governments also gazetted Dadaab and Kakuma as municipalities to support the necessary planning and infrastructure upgrading.

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