Garissa governor Nathif Jama on Thursday expressed optimism that the Garissa Integrated Socio-Economic Development Program (GISEDP) phase I will address numerous challenges that have been affecting both the host community and the refugees.
GISEDP is a plan for integrating refugees into the host community by providing adequate access to land, urban services, and housing and infrastructure.
The Garissa County has been hosting refugees for more than three decades.
GISEDP plans to integrate the 364,000 refugees and asylum seekers (including more than 90,000 who are pending registration) into the host community of Garissa by providing adequate access to land, urban services, and housing and infrastructure
“I personally believe that GISEDP which is an innovative sustainable development model will ensure refugees and their host communities benefit from national and local level services such as education and healthcare, and increased socio-economic opportunities, all anchored in building the skills and increasing the capacity of refugees and the host community,” he sad.
He was speaking at a Nairobi hotel when he Presided over the launch of the (GISEDP) phase I which was also attended by Government officials, UN agencies, humanitarian partners and members of civil society.
Jama further said It will also promote the economic growth of Dadaab through alternative sustainable livelihoods and increased financial access to locals.
He said integration between the refugees was already taking place in many ways citing intermarriages as one of the ways that has already promoted the same saying that going forward, the county expects to see more of the same happening under the current arrangements.
“Integration is a reality and for us, it is about the question of running with the same. Even the Dadaab municipality that we formed the other day, part of the reason was that so that we can address issues related to integration so that we give more opportunities to both the refugees and the host community,” the Governor said.
Caroline van Buren, UNHCR Country Representative for Kenya described GISEDP as the game changer on many fronts in far as integration between refugees and the host community was concerned.
“We applaud the Garissa County Government. This is the latest step in refugee inclusion in Kenya and marks a strategic shift from humanitarian assistance toward sustainable solutions,” said Caroline van Buren.
Speaking at the ceremony, Garissa woman representative Udgoon Siyad lauded GISEDP saying that it provides a good platform for integrating the refugees with the rest of the county peacefully.
“We also need to provide them with a solution to work, leave and integrate with the rest of the county by giving them the platform to interact freely without any problems and restrictions and this will help them to pursue their careers and any other economic empowerment program they so wish to engage in,” she said.
Udgoon who sits in the Justice and Legal committee said that she was willing to push the agendas and help bring about policies on matter refugees that would make the lives of refugees easy.
“On behalf of the mothers, youth and children both in the refugees and the locals of Garissa County as their mother of the county, I want to say thank you to the partners for closely working with the leadership of Garissa County. We really appreciate your effort and we don’t take the things you are doing for granted,” she said.
The launch comes barely two days after leaders from Garissa led by Governor Jama hit out at the government for doing little to protect the environment, which is allegedly being destroyed by refugees.
Jama and other leaders claimed there is a renewed massive deforestation being carried out by refugees from the Dadaab and Liboi sub counties.
An angry Jama who flew to the area in the company of other leaders accused the government of not coming up with alternative sources of fuel for the refugees.