What do you think of the Kenyan Government involvement in management of the camp, the security situation, decision-making bodies, and refugee feedback mechanisms?
“The government involvement in the management of the camp is not bad as far as they do not involve in the areas of issue that directly concerns the refugees itself. Camp management is not growing, the service deliveries needs a tight controlling mechanism. The decision making body seems it may have its own problem, and there are so many complaining about the delayed feedback and their decisions which strongly affect people in this camp negatively. The security is deteriorating and up to now it is on a bad condition. The security agencies were said [to be] doing their best in this maintenance as we hear from our leaders.”
-T., Ethiopian primary school teacher
“According to my experience, the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) is doing a good job on helping the refugees and asylum seekers on legal protection. The Department of Refugee Affairs (DRA) is showing low performance in being firm and independent. The service deliveries reach the beneficiaries but at the same time many don’t know where to go to get served. The decision-making body is not fair and just in line to the Refugee Status Determination(RSD) Resettlement and that is why the feedback takes so long; there is no access to UNHCR officials and getting an appointment has a process. The security is not bad now but thefts and robberies are increasing. The most recent killing was at Kakuma four in the night of 24th Sep where we visited the scene”
– M., case worker with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
“I know the government has many roles to play. However the camp management is not very good and should change in a way that fits youth better by way of reopening one more secondary school. You can imagine in Form One where we have five streams with each stream having 60 – 70 students and we sit on benches as lessons progress. The decision-making body should change the strategies they use because I grew up here in the camp and have always seen people who are traumatized by negative decisions of the UNHCR, either on rejection on RSD and Resettlement after many years of waiting.”
-D., Ethiopian student at Kakuma Secondary School
“The government is okay due to the law we need, but I am not sure if the camp management is better now than before. The decision-making body is very slow. The security is improving and no killings these days.”
-A staff member with an NGO
“Camp management is poor especially in Health care and Education. At the IRC clinics when a patient has a fever, he is only tested and it shows negative so he is only given pritions and paracetamol tabs. Services deliveries are generally poor. The security is deteriorating. Snatchers of the mobile phones are common at almost all FDC’s and Zone Five but no gun men were reported seen in the camps.”
– M., a Somali leader
“I think the government involvement is good and this is not easy. But there are limited schools and students should not be denied this desire. The decision-making body is improper, there is no proper planning and results are always with negative feedback. The security has improved compared to 2007 and 2008. Life has not much threat currently.”
-N., a Sudanese refugee