UN agency praises Kenya's efforts to integrate refugees in Kakuma camp

The new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees visited Kakuma refugee camp in north-west Kenya on Monday where he praised the country for its integration efforts.

It opened in 1992 to welcome people escaping problems in countries including South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After his visit, Barham Salih said the camp offered an important example of “inclusion and generosity” on the part of the host nation.

“It’s a model that stands out as a pillar for protection and also inclusion and for creating sustainable solutions that can see refugees beyond dependency on humanitarian assistance for long periods of time,” he said.

Although it remains under the United Nations’ management, in April 2025 Kakuma was redesignated a municipality, one that local government officials later will run.

Salih also lauded Kenya's efforts to integrate refugees into local services after visiting the settlement's health facilities and schools.

He said refugees deserve inclusion and the ability to manage their situations so that they can become productive members of society.

“In my view, helping refugees is to help them out of that dependency. It’s not to create that dependency. This is a violation, in my view, of their basic human rights and dignity,” he said.

The recently appointed Salih, a former refugee who later served as president of Iraq, said his own experience will inform his leadership of the UN agency, “grounded in empathy, pragmatism, and a principled commitment to international law”.

After Kakuma, he will visit refugee camps in Chad.

"I am going to the refugee camps to assess the situation and to also talk to the national leadership of Chad and see how we can help with this situation," he said.