A month after Garissa leaders raised an alarm over the increased number of refugees in the county, elders from Garissa County have piled up pressure on President William Ruto to tighten border security in the country.
This is after they noticed an increase in the number of refugees sneaking into the country through the Garissa border.
According to the residents, most of these refugees come from the neighboring Somaliland.
The residents are worried that if border security is not tightened, it will continue to pose a danger to the northeastern part of the country.
Garissa County Governor Nathif Jama addressing a crowd at a past function.
File
In November, the National Assembly’s Regional Development Committee visited the Dadaab Refugee camp after leaders from the county raised the alarm over the increased number of refugees.
Led by Governor Nathif Jama, the residents stressed the impact of the large refugee presence on local communities, particularly in Garissa, where the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses approximately 500,000 refugees, has resulted in increased insecurity and environmental degradation.
“We face major issues as a country regarding refugees, and this forum has brought these issues to the fore,” he said.
The county leaders have stressed the importance of the government devising policies that would effectively address the matter of the refugees sneaking in.
Speaking in November, Garissa Governor urged his colleagues in the National Assembly to consider the impact of the increased number of refugees and create a more conducive environment for sustainable refugee management in the country.
“The presence of such a large refugee population has led to issues from land disputes and wildlife poaching to severe environmental damage,” the governor noted.
According to the Commissioner for Refugee Affairs at the Department for Refugee Services (DRS), John Burugu, Kenya currently lacks a policy framework for refugee management.
This situation has placed the country in an ill-equipped position to handle the increasing refugee population.
Burugu revealed that there is a need for Kenya to take control of refugee data management.
He revealed that his department has recently partnered with a US agency, the Population Refugee System, to develop a secure refugee data platform.
“Once we establish this database, we can begin verification processes to ensure more accurate records,” he said.
In a Kenyan refugee camp.
codastory.com