Dadaab refugee camp to be closed by November, says Nkaissery

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery receives a sensitization programme on the exercise for communities hosting refugees report from Mr Joseph Irungu at Harambee House in Nairobi on May 31, 2016, where he said that Kenya is committed to close Dadaab refugee camp. He said the decision to repatriate refugees was arrived at in November 2013, when Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR signed a Tripartite Agreement setting grounds for the exercise. 31/05/2016. Photo by WILLIS AWANDU

The process to close the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps will be completed November.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said repatriation of the refugees will be done in a humane way. An 11-member team has compiled a report on how the repatriation will be done.

The team chaired by Joseph Irungu was formed on May 11 and tasked with developing modalities for the repatriation, and determine the cost and deadline.

"The decision we made to close the camp is explicit and final. We shall hand over the report on how we intend to handle the process to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," said Mr Nkaissery.

international community

He added: "We shall close the two refugee camps in the most humane way. The refugees must be repatriated to their countries and we hope to close the camp, latest November."

The Government has set aside a billion shillings for the process. The CS said the international community has to honour its obligation of meeting the cost of resettling the refugees in their home countries and ensuring they are comfortable.

"It will be up to UNHCR and other bodies to move with speed to receive and resettle the refugees on the Somali side and make them feel at home. They have enough time until November to put everything in place," he said.

Mr Irungu said the report explored all terms of reference given to the team, and that they were hopeful their recommendations will be implemented by the Government.

Members of the task force include Immigration boss Gordon Kihalangwa, Martin Kimani, Richard Ndubai, Mohamud Saleh and Reuben Kimotho.

Others are George Walwa, Catherine Bunyassi, Catherine Mogaka, Boniface Maingi, Naman Owuor and Haron Komen.

Deputy President William Ruto recently asked the developed countries to absorb some of the refugees.