Wednesday March 26, 2025
People move around the outskirts of Dagahaley settlement at Kenya’s Dadaab Refugee Camp. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst
Mogadishu (HOL) — Kenya’s sweeping Shirika Plan to convert refugee camps into permanent cities is triggering concern in Somalia, where government officials say the initiative could complicate repatriation efforts and fuel long-term displacement of Somali nationals.
Set to launch in 2024, the multi-billion-dollar plan will reengineer the decades-old Dadaab and Kakuma camps—home to over 300,000 Somali refugees—into two fully integrated urban centers by 2035. The initiative, structured across three development phases, marks a dramatic pivot from short-term humanitarian aid to long-term local integration.
For Somalia, the implications are substantial. The country has struggled to reintegrate returnees due to insecurity, poor infrastructure, and limited resources. Nairobi’s move toward local integration could prompt donors to redirect funding away from repatriation and toward settlement within Kenya—posing a challenge for Somalia’s fragile recovery efforts.
Kenya has long hosted one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, with over 700,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Under the Shirika Plan, the government aims to phase out its restrictive encampment policy and introduce inclusive service delivery systems, livelihoods, and infrastructure for refugees and host communities.
The plan rests on six pillars: integrated services, human capital development, sustainable economic growth, environmental management, systems building, and durable legal solutions. It draws from previous models, such as the Kalobeyei and Garissa development frameworks, and is aligned with national policies like Vision 2030 and the Global Compact on Refugees.
The first phase, focused on transition (2024–2027), requires $943 million in funding. But with traditional donors—such as the U.S. and U.K.—cutting back on aid, questions loom over the plan’s viability.
Legal and bureaucratic hurdles remain a challenge. Although Kenya’s 2021 Refugee Act offers expanded rights, such as the ability to work and start businesses, implementation has been hampered by slow bureaucratic processes, including lengthy Class M work permit approvals. The plan proposes mechanisms for refugees—particularly those from East African Community countries—to change their legal status, but further legal clarity is needed.
Community engagement has also been limited. Both host and refugee populations have voiced concerns over a lack of involvement in the planning process, restricted access to information, and reduced transparency on policy decisions affecting them.
Environmental risks further complicate implementation. The camps are located in semi-arid regions already stressed by water scarcity and deforestation, largely due to reliance on firewood. The plan calls for sustainable natural resource management and climate adaptation measures to address environmental degradation.
Despite these challenges, the Shirika Plan represents one of Africa’s most ambitious refugee integration efforts. For now, Mogadishu is watching closely. As the Shirika Plan begins its rollout, Somalia is caught between hope for repatriation and the hard realities of regional transformation.
