Kenya used a high-level United Nations forum to promote its plan to transform refugee camps into integrated municipalities, while calling for a global shift from emergency aid towards financing long-term resilience.
Speaking at the 2026 Humanitarian Affairs Segment at the United Nations headquarters in New York, National Administration in the Ministry of Interior secretary Moses Lilan said humanitarian responses should focus on building self-reliance and addressing the root causes of crises.
Lilan, who led Kenya’s delegation to the meeting, urged countries and development partners to prioritise locally led interventions that strengthen communities against future shocks.
“Kenya calls for prioritisation of locally led responses that build resilience by scaling up anticipatory action, climate adaptation, and livelihood programmes to address root causes,” he said.
At the centre of Kenya’s presentation was the Shirika Plan, a government initiative aimed at transforming refugee settlements into functioning municipalities where refugees and host communities can access services, participate in economic activities and build sustainable livelihoods.
According to Lilan, the programme seeks to promote economic inclusion while easing pressure on host communities that have carried the burden of supporting large refugee populations for decades.
“These initiatives aim to transform refugee camps into integrated municipalities and promote self-reliance and economic inclusion, a move which will also be of great benefit to the local communities,” he said.
Kenya currently hosts more than 800,000 refugees, making it one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting countries. The influx has placed significant strain on resources and infrastructure, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where many refugee settlements are located.
Lilan said the Shirika Plan, alongside the government’s 15 Billion Trees Initiative and the Ending Drought Emergencies framework, reflects Kenya’s commitment to integrated approaches that reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience.
He noted that the initiatives align with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which promotes a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to development.
The official also highlighted Kenya’s legal framework for managing displacement and refugee issues, citing the Prevention, Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons and Affected Communities Act of 2012 and the Refugees Act of 2021.
Lilan further announced that the Disaster Risk Management Act, 2026, will soon come into force, describing it as a key milestone in strengthening the country’s capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.
Despite the progress, he acknowledged that inadequate funding remains a major challenge and urged development partners to provide predictable and long-term support.
“International cooperation must complement national efforts in financing resilience, not disasters,” Lilan said.
The three-day meeting, held under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, brought together member states, UN agencies and humanitarian organisations to discuss responses to growing humanitarian challenges, including climate change, conflict and displacement.
