Development of government policies and their implications on refugee protection in Kenya 1964 - 2016

Abstract

This journal article reviews Kenya’s refugee policy from 1964 to 2016. Since independence, Kenya has accommodated refugees from neighbouring East African countries due to its perceived political stability, except for the 2007 - 2008 post-election violence. Since 1964, Kenya has developed a number of refugee polices in order to address the changing nature of refugee problems in the country. This paper looks at the formulation, articulation, implementation, and impact of diverse refugee policies in Kenya. The paper used a descriptive literature review to gather, collate, analyse, and present data. The paper demonstrates that, during the first two decades of independence, Kenya's tiny refugee population was manageable on a reasonable basis. The country's social, economic, and political stability was unaffected by this small number of asylum seekers. However, the number of migrants applying for asylum in Kenya has significantly
increased since 1991. The increase in refugees has been linked to terrorism and the increase in unlawful weapons in the country, both of which have compromised national security and peace. Furthermore, refugees have been accused of distorting the feeble economy through engaging in illicit business activities. Therefore, the government of Kenya has developed policies and legislation to regulate refugees in the country. The paper contends that the diverse policies and legislations have significantly adversely impacted refugees in the country.