Declining donor funds put strain on hospitals, schools in Kakuma

‎

A section view of IFO 2 refugee camp in Dadaab. [File, Standard]

Residents of Kakuma are facing mounting pressure on essential services as declining donor funding continues to strain health facilities and overcrowded schools in both refugee and host communities.

‎Hospitals are overwhelmed. Classrooms are stretched beyond capacity. And for many families, access to basic services is becoming increasingly difficult.

‎“When these organisations reduce, it is we who suffer first,” said Ekal Lomeria, a resident of the host community. “Hospitals get overwhelmed, schools get crowded, and nobody comes to answer for that.”

‎For refugees, the situation is equally uncertain. Amina Nyalok, who has lived in Kakuma for nearly a decade, says the future feels unclear as support systems weaken.

‎“We did not choose to be here. But we are here, and we are part of this town,” she said. “If support stops, where do we go?

‎Kakuma, one of Kenya’s largest refugee-hosting areas, has long struggled with pressure on basic services due to a rapidly growing population, limited infrastructure, and heavy reliance on humanitarian aid.

‎Over the years, parallel systems for refugees and host communities in sectors such as health and education have created disparities in access and quality, while chronic underfunding has made it difficult to expand services in line with demand.

‎As humanitarian funding declines globally, agencies operating in Kakuma are being forced to scale back operations, even as the population continues to grow due to ongoing regional instability and displacement.

‎The result is a widening gap between needs and available resources.

‎The situation was the focus of discussions during Participatory Forum II, a multi-stakeholder meeting that brought together key actors in Kakuma’s humanitarian and governance landscape.

‎Organisations present included the Lutheran World Federation, the International Rescue Committee, and the Jesuit Refugee Service, alongside government representatives and local leaders.

‎The forum aimed to address increasing pressure on health and education systems and explore ways to enhance service delivery for both refugee and host communities.

‎However, despite broad agreement on the scale of the challenges, the meeting concluded without clear funding commitments or specific action timelines.

‎Officials from the Department of Refugee Services recognised the urgency of the situation but stated that discussions are still ongoing.

‎“There are a number of stakeholders interested in the well-being of the residents of Kakuma, and there is a conversation currently ongoing to bring on board the government and other stakeholders, key among them being the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,” said DRS Operations Officer David Mukomba.

‎“Going forward, there is a need for refining the points discussed today and maintaining this dialogue rather than suspending it altogether,” he added.

‎His comments reflect a broader shift away from reliance on traditional humanitarian leadership towards a more shared responsibility model involving government and multiple partners.

‎But for residents, the pace of that transition is a matter of concern.

‎In the health sector, facilities continue to operate under immense pressure, with limited staff and supplies struggling to meet increasing demand. Patients often face long waiting times, and in some cases, access to essential services is reduced.

‎In education, overcrowding remains a major issue. Classrooms designed for far fewer students are now accommodating large numbers, affecting both the quality of learning and access to resources.

‎Caroline Onyango, representing the Jesuit Refugee Service, emphasised the urgency of addressing gaps in the education sector.

‎“While challenges in service delivery, education access, inclusion, and resource allocation remain numerous, some gaps are too critical to ignore and require urgent, collective action,” she said.

‎She noted that forums such as these are important for bringing stakeholders together, but stressed that dialogue must lead to concrete decisions.

‎“Bringing together partners alongside national and county government representatives creates an opportunity for meaningful engagement, shared responsibility, and practical problem-solving,” Onyango added.

‎A key concern raised during the forum was the ongoing existence of parallel systems serving refugees and host communities.

‎In health and education, these systems often operate independently, leading to inequalities in service provision and inefficiencies in resource use.

‎As funding diminishes, maintaining separate systems becomes increasingly unsustainable.

‎Local leaders also highlighted deeper structural challenges, including limited citizen participation in governance and planning processes.

‎A representative from Kakuma Municipality noted that low public engagement remains a barrier to the achievement of functional urban systems.

‎“The most difficult challenge to achieving functioning urban areas is the lack of participation by citizens,” the representative said.

‎Turkana County officials reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring both host and refugee communities benefit fairly from government programmes.

‎However, no new budget allocations were announced, underscoring the county’s ongoing reliance on humanitarian organisations to maintain critical services.

‎For many residents, the absence of clear commitments is a growing concern.

‎While meetings and discussions continue, conditions on the ground remain unchanged.

‎Health facilities are still overwhelmed. Schools remain overcrowded. Families continue to face daily challenges with limited support.

‎As funding declines and pressure on services intensifies, the gap between policy discussions and lived realities is becoming more apparent.

‎For Kakuma’s residents, what is needed now is not more dialogue, but timely action to address the issues affecting their daily lives. Present included the Lutheran World Federation, the International Rescue Committee, and the Jesuit Refugee Service, alongside government representatives and local leaders.

‎The forum aimed to address increasing pressure on health and education systems and explore ways to enhance service delivery for both refugee and host communities.

‎However, despite broad agreement on the scale of the challenges, the meeting concluded without clear funding commitments or specific action timelines.

‎Officials from the Department of Refugee Services recognised the urgency of the situation but stated that discussions are still ongoing.

‎“There are a number of stakeholders interested in the well-being of the residents of Kakuma, and there is a conversation currently ongoing to bring on board the government and other stakeholders, key among them being the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,” said DRS Operations Officer David Mukomba.