Turkana: Turkana Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus has reiterated the county's commitment to closely work with development partners to offer integrated service delivery to refugee communities at the Kakuma camp and Kalobeyei settlement scheme. He emphasized the importance of the ongoing refugee resettlement programs, describing them as a major breakthrough in fostering positive relations between local residents and refugees, some of whom have spent their entire lives in the country.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Erus made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He highlighted the Integrated Refugee Response Program (IRRP), which was initiated in 2023 and is currently under review. This program facilitates cooperation between the host and refugee communities residing in Kakuma and Kalobeyei in Turkana West.
The IRRP is funded with USD 115 million from the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Danish philanthropic foundations such as LEGO, Grundfos, and Novo Nordisk. Its goal is to transition refugee management from humanitarian approaches to inclusive, government-led models that benefit both hosts and refugees while promoting self-reliance.
In its first two years, the IRRP has successfully laid the groundwork for improved service delivery, focusing on water, health, and vocational training for capacity enhancement. Danish team lead, Kanar Salam Patruss, stated that the results of the current review would inform the design of the next phase of the program, set to commence early next year.