Refugee Protection in Kenya

Abstract

This journal article explores the framework for refugee
protection in Kenya. The country has hosted refugees
from neighbouring East African countries, primarily
due to its perceived political stability. The refugee
situation is marked by significant hardship, affecting not
only the refugees themselves but also the host nation.
This scenario places considerable strain on the
financial and physical resources of the host nation and
necessitates substantial efforts from the international
community to provide aid to those in need. In response
to the refugee crisis, Kenya has adopted several policies
to ensure compliance with international standards for
refugee protection. This article evaluates how
effectively Kenya’s Refugee Act of 2021 has been
domesticated and upheld in line with internationally
acknowledged and obligatory durable solutions to the
refugee problem. A descriptive literature review was
employed to collect, organise, analyse, and present the
relevant data. The findings posit that although Kenya
has made notable progress in establishing regulatory
frameworks to protect refugees, the goals of refugee
protection remain unfulfilled. Even with the enactment
of the Refugee Act of 2021, refugees in Kenya still face
numerous challenges related to their protection. The
article contends that the key to resolving the refugee
crisis in Kenya hinges on the diligent implementation of
the durable solutions. This research contributes to the
broader discourse on refugee protection worldwide,
with a particular emphasis on the Kenyan context.