Shee Kupi: Man who built Kiunga's camp-free refugee community

Shee Kupi Shee during his homecoming celebration [Juliet Omelo, Standard]

Years ago, when refugees fleeing violence and drought in Somalia crossed into Kenya through the remote coastal town of Kiunga, there were no camps, no fences, and minimal state infrastructure to receive them.

Instead, they were absorbed into homes, farms, and fishing communities, a choice that would later make Kiunga a rare example of sustained refugee host integration.

At the heart of that approach is Shee Kupi Shee, a public servant whose career has shaped how the town managed displacement while avoiding prolonged conflict. Born and raised in Kiunga, Shee has family ties on both sides of the Kenya–Somalia border, a background that influenced his understanding of movement and belonging. “In Kiunga, movement across the border was never strange. Families are connected. People flee drought or conflict and come to relatives, not camps,” Shee said.

Between 2012 and 2014, he served as an Immigration Officer at the Lamu Border Control Office, handling daily crossings of civilians fleeing violence and climate shocks. “You cannot treat a mother running with children the same way you treat a criminal. Humanity had to come first,” he said.

From 2015 to 2018, Shee was seconded to Lamu County as Sub-County Administrator for Kiunga, overseeing the distribution of scarce public resources. County relief food was shared equally between host and refugee communities; water rationing applied to all residents, and subsidised agricultural inputs were distributed without distinction. “We made a decision that suffering has no nationality. If food comes to Kiunga, it must serve everyone. If water is rationed, it must be rationed fairly,” he said.

Shee Kupi Shee during his homecoming celebration [Juliet Omelo, Standard]

County officials say the approach helped ease tensions. “Once the 50–50 sharing model was introduced, complaints reduced significantly and cooperation improved,” said a senior county administrator.

Refugees were allowed to farm and access fishing grounds alongside host communities, preventing dependency and resentment. “When people work together, they protect peace together,” Shee said.

He was later promoted to the Directorate of Disaster Management and Peacebuilding, coordinating responses to droughts, floods, fires, and maritime incidents. Elders say relations between civilians and security agencies improved during this period. “There was trust because help did not discriminate. Everyone felt included,” said a Kiunga elder.

Shee documented Kiunga’s experience at the Otto and Fran Walter Peace Centre in Istanbul under the Rotary Peace Fellowship, highlighting it as a model for policymakers. He has received several national and international awards for humanitarian response, disaster management, and peacebuilding, but insists the recognition belongs to the community; “These awards are for Kiunga. I only carried the responsibility.” 

Kiunga has maintained peace and refugee–host integration without camps for nearly 30 years. As Kenya implements new refugee policies under the Ushirika Plan, officials cite Kiunga’s experience, shaped by local leadership and community decision-making, as a model for integration.