By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, 13 November 2025 - Kenya’s ambitious shift from traditional refugee camps to socio‑economic integration is under severe pressure.
The government‑led integration plan, known as the Shirika Plan, launched with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Bank in 2021, aims to end the long-standing camp model and smoothly integrate refugees into national systems of employment, education, healthcare, and livelihoods.
A mid‑year report by a coalition of 56 humanitarian organisations highlights a funding gap of approximately KSh 2.6 billion (US$20 million) across critical sectors supporting refugee integration in Dadaab, Kakuma, and other settlements.
Health services are short by KSh1 billion, education KSh 827.1 million, protection KSh 516.9 million, and water and sanitation (WASH) KSh 193 million.
Without urgent funds, essential services are being scaled back. Water supply in Dadaab has dropped to just 10 litres per person per day, below the minimum emergency standard of 20 litres, while 67% of health facilities in Kakuma and Hagadera face potential closure.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), unless the funding gap is bridged, around 720,000 refugees risk receiving only 28 percent of recommended daily food rations and no cash assistance.
“With available resources stretched to their limits… we have had to make the difficult decision to again reduce food assistance,” said WFP Kenya Deputy Country Director Baimankay Sankoh.
The UNHCR has also raised alarms about the impact of funding cuts on vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls, warning that closures of safe houses and reduced legal and psychosocial services leave them exposed to violence.
“Brutal funding cuts in the humanitarian sector are putting millions of lives at risk,” said UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi.
Kenya Red Cross: A Sustainable Approach
In parallel, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has intensified efforts to generate independent income to support humanitarian operations.
Through commercial ventures like Boma Hotels, the E‑Plus Ambulance Service, Switch Tv and Boma International hospitality colleges, KRCS has created alternative revenue streams to cushion humanitarian programmes from donor volatility.
Former KRCS Secretary-General Abbas Gullet once stated: “We cannot rely on government and donors alone. We have to find new revenue streams to ensure we can meet urgent humanitarian needs.”
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These business initiatives have contributed millions of shillings annually to fund emergency responses, health services, and disaster relief programmes.
Whats the importance?
The funding shortfalls threaten to reverse years of progress in refugee integration. Refugees may face deteriorating living conditions, reduced access to education, health care, and livelihoods, and higher risks of hunger and malnutrition.
The situation underlines the critical need for sustainable funding mechanisms and local initiatives that complement donor support.
KRCS’s business model offers a practical example of resilience, demonstrating that humanitarian organisations can leverage self-generated revenue to support long-term programmes and reduce reliance on external aid.
The Future Outlook
With Kenya hosting over 836,000 refugees as of early 2025, pressures on integration systems are likely to intensify.
To maintain momentum, the government, international partners, and civil society must align resources, strengthen infrastructure, and implement robust monitoring systems.
Sustainable business models like KRCS’s may play an increasing role in bridging gaps, ensuring that integration efforts remain viable even amid funding constraints.
Kenya’s refugee integration ambitions face a critical juncture: funding gaps threaten to undermine services and livelihoods, but innovative approaches by organisations such as KRCS provide a blueprint for resilience. The country’s ability to navigate this challenge will determine whether refugee integration is a lasting achievement or an unfinished promise.
Kenya’s Refugee Integration Drive Stumbles Amid Funding Shortfall and Rising Humanitarian Strains
The Integration Plan Faces a Funding Shortfall of KSh2.6 Billion
