Kakuma Refugee Camp
The camp was established in 1992 following the arrival of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”
Kakuma camp is located in the North-western region of Kenya. The camp was established in 1992 following the arrival of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”. During that year, large groups of Ethiopian refugees fled their country following the fall of the Ethiopian government. Somalia had also experienced high insecurity and civil strife causing people to flee. The 15km² camp with a capacity of 125,000 persons is divided into four zones. It is located on the outskirts of Kakuma town, which is the headquarters for Turkana West District of Turkana County. Kakuma camp had a population of 190,822 registered refugees and asylum-seekers as at 30/04/2016.
With an influx of new arrivals in 2014, Kakuma surpassed its capacity by over 58,000 individuals, leading to congestion in various sections. Following negotiations between UNHCR, Kenya’s Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, the County Government of Turkana and the host community, land for a new settlement was identified in Kalobeyei, 25km from Kakuma town.
