Inclusive Nairobi: Institutionalizing Refugee Inclusion in Nairobi City County Government

Summary

The Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) commits to delivering a new portfolio of policies and programs dedicated to institutionalizing the socio-economic inclusion of Nairobi’s refugees within NCCG’s city planning, service delivery, and policymaking.

NCCG will institutionalize refugee access to city services and infrastructure by 2027 by establishing a section for refugees within a NCCG sub-sector responsible for developing policies and practices that promote refugee socio-economic inclusion. These policies will include facilitating access to healthcare, trading and business licenses, education, and other essential services. The section will also be responsible for direct service delivery to refugee communities related to job training, access to County family and social welfare programs, psychosocial support, youth empowerment, and employment and self-employment. NCCG will involve refugee communities in the design of these policies and programs. 

To align these policies and programs with the Nairobi context, NCCG will also create a city-wide coordination mechanism by 2025. This mechanism will allow NCCG to coordinate directly with existing INGOs and NGOs to facilitate data sharing, referrals, and program complementarity. NCCG will also conduct its own baseline study of refugees in Nairobi to complement the existing database and define its role within ongoing urban displacement responses.

Impact

The expected impact of NCCG’s action is the permanent institutionalization of refugee inclusion within county government plans, policies, and programs. This institutionalization will allow refugees to access social services, healthcare, education, and registration services while also creating a mandate for NCCG to design and deliver its own refugee-focused programs through county government mechanisms. 

This commitment follows the national government and international community’s efforts to move away from an encampment policy in Kenya towards a national policy that recognizes urban refugees and empowers local governments to engage and provide for them as constituents.