Somalia/Kenya: Whether Somali refugees, who are without status in Kenya and live in refugee camps in Kenya or Nairobi, can enrol in Kenyan schools; the procedures followed by these residents to become enrolled and the kind of documentation issued to them by the Kenyan government
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 30 July 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZZZ41651.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia/Kenya: Whether Somali refugees, who are without status in Kenya and live in refugee camps in Kenya or Nairobi, can enrol in Kenyan schools; the procedures followed by these residents to become enrolled and the kind of documentation issued to them by the Kenyan government , 30 July 2003, ZZZ41651.E , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4e492a.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Nairobi, Kenya, were unable to provide information with regard to the enrolment of stateless Somali refugees living in refugees camps in Kenya or Nairobi in Kenyan schools. However, the following information may be of interest.
According to Action by Churches Together (ACT), "for political reasons, the Kenyan government decided to establish two major centres of refugee settlement": Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps in 1992 (23 Mar. 2001). At the end of 2001, the majority of refugees in Kenya resided in the Dadaab camps (USCR 2002, 80). In 2001, there were about 130,000 refugees in the Dadaab camps (ibid.), while the Kakuma camps housed 70,958 refugees from nine countries with 72 per cent from Sudan and 22 per cent from Somalia (ACT 23 Mar.2001). In early 2003, The East African Standard had reported that the number of refugees in Kakuma camps had expanded to more than 80, 000 (15 Feb. 2003). The Kakuma camps are located in Turkana district in north west Kenya, 120 kilometres from the Kenya/Sudan boarder (ACT 23 Mar. 2001).
Although the government requires most refugees to live in the camps, "tens of thousands of refugees continued to live without humanitarian assistance in urban areas, particularly, in the capital, Nairobi" (USCR 2002, 80).
With regard to the education of refugees outside the camps, the USCR World Refugee Survey 2002, points out that "UNHCR provided primary and secondary education assistance, subsistence allowances, and counselling to more than 2,000 urban refugees during 2001" (ibid., 80). In terms of the education of refugee children in Kakuma camps, The East African Standard noted that "over 30,00 children [are] in dire need of education" (15 Feb. 2003). According to this source, "there are 25 primary schools, six pre-unit schools and three secondary schools that cater for a population of more than 30,000 children who have all adopted Kenya's education curriculum" (The East African Standard 15 Feb. 2003.). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) explains that
World Vision-Kenya, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works in partnership with other United Nations (UN) agencies in the area, was reportedly "mandated to construct and maintain refugee shelters, schools, toilets and also police stations in the area" (The East African Standard 15 Feb. 2003). With the assistance of World Vision-Japan, WV-Kenya had rehabilitated all the schools in Kakuma camps and also built "two ultra-modern" schools (ibid.). The East African Standard points out that pupils from refugee camp schools are permitted to participate in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KPCE), giving as an example of a student who performed extremely well in the KPCE who reportedly received a scholarship from the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to join a Kenyan Government Secondary School (ibid.).
The USCR World Refugee Survey 2002 points out perpetual influx of Sudanese refugees added "to overcrowding in classrooms at the Kakuma camps, where more than 20, 000 students attended 21 primary schools" in 2001 (2002, 82). This source also adds that
although the demand for education was very high among Somali refugee children and adults, more than half of school- aged children did not attend school during 2001 because adequate classrooms and properly trained teachers were in short supply. More than 100 students typically crowded into a single classroom. Lack of funding also forced UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies to curb vocational-training programs for adults (2002, 81).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Action by Churches Together (ACT). 23 March 2001. "ACT Appeal Kenya: Kakuma Refugee Camp - AFKE-11." Committee for Refugees (USCR). 2002 . World Refugee Survey 2002. 2002. Washington, DC. Committee for Refugees.
United Nations. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). "Refugee Education in Kenya: Education for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future." Additional Sources Counsulted
Africa Confidential
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series
Amnesty International
Country Reports 2000-2002
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
The Indian Ocean Newsletter
IRB Databases
NEXIS
Resource Centre. Country File. Kenya.
Internet sources, including:
Africa Online
AllAfrica.com
BBC Africa
Search engine:
Google
