MoU on tertiary education for refugees signed between UNHCR and public university in Kenya

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Moi University and UNHCR,  to further access to tertiary education for refugees.  The MoU was signed at the university’s Nairobi campus.

UNHCR supports post-secondary education for refugees in Kenya through the German funded Albert Einstein Education Initiative, which is commonly known as DAFI scholarship. The tertiary education scholarship program enables refugee scholars to access education worldwide.  It currently supports over 205  students in 11 institutions across the country. Windle Charitable Trust is the implementing partner of UNHCR for the DAFI program in Kenya.

“I am devastated by the statistics that only 1% of refugees acquire tertiary education. Moi University is determined to continue offering quality education to global citizens including those who have been displaced for no reason of their own”, said Moi University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Laban Ayiro, during the signing.

There are currently  28 refugee students at Moi University studying six different degree courses in Business Management, Environmental Health, Information Science, Law, Nursing, Public Administration and Political Science.

UNHCR is grateful for the support offered by Moi University and all the universities in Kenya and beyond that contribute in harnessing the academic potential of refugees with the bigger vision of promoting regional and global human resource capacities and peace.

“Refugees who have acquired tertiary education have been seen to return to their countries of origin. This underscores the importance of tertiary education in rebuilding countries affected by conflict,” Said UNHCR Representative in Kenya, Raouf Mazou at the event.

Moi University now joins three other public universities in Kenya in supporting education for refugees – Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyata University of Science and Technology and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology among others.

Read  UNHCR’s Report on Refugee Education in Crisis here.