Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has called on the Senate to urgently assess the conditions of refugees living in Kenya, warning that vulnerable populations face severe hardship and subhuman conditions in camps such as Kakuma.
In a formal statement to the Senate floor, Senator Sifuna asked the relevant parliamentary committee to verify the exact number of refugees residing in official camps, track their countries of origin, and scrutinize the basic supply of essential needs—specifically food, clean water, shelter, and education.
“Refugees are a vulnerable and largely forgotten community… The lack of decent living conditions and human dignity are major contributors to the illicit recruitment of refugee populations into crime, especially given the fact that some refugees have previously been combatants in conflicts in their mother nations.”
Sifuna highlighted that many refugees depend heavily on fragile government and humanitarian aid, leaving thousands without adequate shelter, clean water, or nutritional support.
The senator warned that severe neglect and deprivation create fertile ground for criminal exploitation and illicit recruitment by armed groups.
The call for parliamentary scrutiny follows growing debate surrounding executive directives restricting non-citizens from operating small-scale retail businesses, which Sifuna argued could further marginalize refugees and worsen their economic vulnerability.
He reminded the House of Kenya’s commitment under the 1951 Refugee Convention to protect individuals fleeing conflict and persecution while balancing local economic interests.
The Senate committee handling the matter is expected to undertake an investigation into camp management, state food-water supply lines, and basic service infrastructure in designated refugee zones.
