Factors Influencing Management of Refugee Camps in Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to determine the factors influencing management of refugee camps in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to; establish how security factors have affected management of refugee camps in Kenya; ascertain how health factors have affected management of refugee camps in Kenya; determine the extent to which funding has affected management of refugee camps in Kenya; and find out how rapid population growth has affected management of refugee camps in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for this study included: the local residents of Turkana and Garissa County residing near Kakuma and Daadab Camps, national government officials (Turkana and Garissa County Commissioner, District Officer, and local area chiefs), the Permanent Secretary-Ministry of Interior, Turkana and Garissa County Government health ministers, and UNHCR field associates. The study involved 384 sampled and randomly selected local residents of Turkana and Garissa Counties. The study relied on data collected through questionnaires structured to meet the objectives of the study and an interview guide. Responses were tabulated, coded and processed by use of a computer Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0 programme to analyze the data. The findings of this study revealed that there are incidents of crimes in the refugee camps such as banditry, shootings, there are also some instances of terror cells operating in the camps. The study revealed that some camps have also experienced grenade attacks and incidents of radicalization of unemployed and vulnerable youths. The security factors have affected management of refugee camps to a great extent. The study established that insecurity incidents have posed a challenge in management of refugee camps they have forced the managers in the camps to request for security and put in place stricter measures of vetting refugees. The study established that there is environmental degradation, lack of toilets, lack of clean drinking water and lack of proper waste management in the camps. This situation could be attributed to cases of cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid fever and dysentery in the refugee camps. Health factors have affected management of refugee camps to a great extent. Growth in number of refugees and dwindling supplies has resulted to congestion in the camps and low sanitation standards. Insufficient medical supplies mean that healthcare workers in the refugee camps are not able to contain health problems putting more refugees in danger. The study revealed that there is no enough funding to support refugee welfare. This has affected management of the refugee camps as there is lack of basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing for the refugees. Conflicts in other regions of the world have affected funding of refugees in Kenya since international donors have diverted their funds to other emerging issues in conflict prone areas such as Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya. The study found that increasing population of refugees has strained resources in the refugee camps. This has affected management of the camps to a great extent. Management of refugee camps has become a problem given lack of resources, dwindling opportunities for resource mobilization and poor funding. This study recommends that security stakeholders at the local, national and regional levels should be involved in management of refugee camps. This study recommends that the government should ensure that basic healthcare is provided in the refugee camps. This study recommends that the governments, donors and other organizations concerned with refugees should look for alternative sources of funds to avoid a crisis as the number of refugees continues to grow.