UNHCR needs more land to accommodate Refugees influx to Kakuma

In order to house the more than 6000 refugees arriving from the neighboring countries, UNCHR is requesting from the county government more land.

UNCHR is currently receiving an influx of at least 200 additional refugees, although Kalobeyei Settlement is at capacity.

Nicholas Kaburoburyo, the team’s leader and the Head of UNCHR’s Kakuma Sub Office, told Lands CEC Peter Akono that they were asking for more land because so many new refugees were coming to Kakuma everyday.

CEC Akono assured UNCHR that his department will provide any required assistance and will give feedback after constituting a committee that will visit the area to assess the situation and advise on the need for expansion and land ownership.

The Kakuma Refugee Camp is Africa’s and the world’s oldest and largest refugee camp. Located in the North-western region of Kenya, the camp was established in 1992 following the arrival of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”.

The camp has since expanded to serve refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Uganda, and Rwanda.

By the end of July 2020, there were 196,666 registered refugees and asylum seekers living in Kakuma camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement.