Department of Refugee Services

Wishing you a Happy Eid!

PS Dr. Belio Kipsang met with a World Bank delegation today, led by FCV Adviser Mr. Xavier Devictor, to reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to the Shirika Plan. The PS underscored that the plan’s success in fostering sustainable development and inclusion for refugees and host communities hinges on robust data systems and evidence-based decision-making. The World Bank prioritizes addressing fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) as a key strategy to reduce extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. Forced displacement is a major dimension of FCV, with Kenya hosting large refugee populations whose vulnerabilities intersect with challenges such as food insecurity, climate change, and social inclusion. The fundamental priority remains building the capacity of national systems, which are essential for leading project execution and ensuring effective resource allocation. By strengthening these institutions, the Government is transitioning from humanitarian aid to integrated, sustainable development for both refugees and host communities.

@C_ServicesKE 6/6 With support from @RCKKenya and the Royal Danish Embassy, this induction strengthens capacity, coordination & policy coherence. Strong institutions mean stronger protection for refugees & host communities alike. 🇰🇪

@C_ServicesKE 5/6 Guiding principles for RAC: • Fidelity to the law • Independence & objectivity • Collective responsibility • Balance between humanitarian duty & national interest • Institutional respect Sound advice strengthens institutions

1/6 For 3 days, the DRS inducted Members of the Refugee Advisory Committee (RAC) under the Refugees Act, 2021. This statutory body advises the Cabinet Secretary on refugee policy & governance. 🇰🇪

Government affirms commitment to #ShirikaPlan in a consultation on implementation matrix with Refugee Donor Group, UN & NGO partners at the Boma Inn. The plan, now at transition phase aims for government-led service delivery benefiting both refugees & host communities.

The Principal Secretary Dr. Belio, today met with the Shirika Plan Implementation Steering Committee for a progress briefing on the Implementation of Shirika Plan. The Committee provided an update on progress achieved and presented a clear roadmap to guide the next phase, with emphasis on strengthening coordination mechanisms, enhancing institutional preparedness, and ensuring an orderly and sustainable implementation process. The Principal Secretary emphasized that the security and sovereign interests of the country remain paramount and must be safeguarded throughout the implementation process. He noted that while the Shirika Plan seeks to advance structured and lawful solutions, it must at all times uphold national stability and public safety. He further highlighted the importance of aligning local leadership with the framework to promote inclusivity and shared ownership. He called for strengthened coordination through consolidation of resources within government systems to ensure accountability, efficiency, and equitable distribution. Dr. Belio stressed that Shirika Plan implementation must remain firmly anchored in the Constitution of Kenya, the Refugees Act and applicable international legal frameworks.

Together with PS Dr Belio Kipsang, this morning I met with Heads of Directorates in the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to discuss ways of consolidating our gains and rolling out more reforms in the sector. The government has already abolished all fees for first-time ID applicants, removed the extra vetting requirement for ID applicants in border counties without compromising security, and fast-tracked the issuance of IDs and passports. Other reforms include the scrapping of fees for authenticating birth certificates when applying for IDs and passports, and a waiver for charges on duplicate IDs. More changes are lined up to facilitate more efficient service delivery to the public. Present were Secretary National Registration Bureau Dr Christopher Wanjau, Secretary Civil Registration Paul Mwangemi, eCitizen Services Director-General Amb Isaac Ochieng, Immigration Services Director-General Evelyn Cheluget, Nairobi Regional Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo, Commissioner for Refugee Affairs Mercy Mwasaru, Secretary Administration Serser Chelulei and other senior Government officials.

The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services held its Annual Review Meeting to assess performance over the year. PS Dr. Belio Kipsang was briefed on progress updates, key achievements and challenges on overall performance and priorities for the year ahead by the Heads of Directorates. The PS commended the Directorates for the impressive work, particularly in the digitalization and upgrading of systems, the rollout of Usajili Mashinani, the implementation of the SHIRIKA Plan and the strengthening of the e-Citizen platform to support seamless Government-to-Government services. The PS further announced that in the coming year, up to 300 live capture machines will be acquired to enhance mobile registration of national identity cards across the country to ensure no Kenyan citizen is left behind in acquisition of services and encouraged Heads of Directorates to sustain momentum, improve efficiency and strengthen service delivery to citizens.

This process is funded by @ilo @IloProspects

Secure Your Future with NSSF Haba Haba! Registration open in Kakuma & Kalobeyei for refugees and host communities. 🌍 💰 Save from as little as Ksh 25 a day or 400/month with flexible access & interest. 📅 27–30 Oct 2025 | Bring your ID + Ksh 200 activation fee. @NSSF_ke #DRS

Today, we marked #MazingiraDay at Kakuma🌳 Together with @UNHCR_Kenya, @GirlChildNetwrk, @PlanKenya, @PWJKenya, @drckenya, @KeEquityBank, Kakuma Municipality & 13 CBOs—we planted 4,000 trees 🌱 across Kakuma to support 🇰🇪’s 15B Tree Initiative by 2032. #GreeningKenya

I handed over the office of Commissioner for Refugee Affairs -DRS⁩ to Madam Mercy Mwasaru ⁦⁦@DRSKenya⁩ @Mercymwasaru1⁩⁩ ⁦⁦@ImmigrationDept⁩ ⁦@UNHCR_Kenya⁩ ⁦@WFP_Kenya⁩ ⁦⁦@UNICEFKenya⁩ ⁦⁦⁦@IOMKenya⁩ ⁦@RESCUEorg⁩

Leadership transition at the DRS 🇰🇪 Mr. John Burugu handed over to Ms. Mercy Mwasaru as the new CRA. We salute Mr. Burugu for his legacy including the #ShirikaPlan, Refugee Act Regulations of 2024 & more. Welcome aboard, Commissioner Mwasaru! #RefugeeAffairs #DRS

As part of #ShirikaPlan implementation, DRS, JICA & KEWI have kicked off a tailored training for 3 Water Service Providers in Turkana 28 July–1 August 2025 Focus: Metering, Billing & Revenue Collection — with more sessions on O&M, NRW, Governance & Leadership coming up.

@WFP_Kenya 3/3 A representative of Gov. of MSA H.E. Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir, said the donation is more than food, but a vessel of hope and dignity and reinforcing the city’s role as a humanitarian gateway and a beacon of compassion and shared responsibility.

2/3 H.E. Kang Hyung-shik, Amb. of the Republic of Korea 🇰🇷: said, Korea was proud to deliver 23,258MT of rice to Kenya’s refugee response, the largest contribution to date. Since 2018, Korea has donated $88M in rice, standing firmly with Kenya and @WFP_Kenya.

1/3 Mombasa: CRA @burugu_j today welcomed 🇰🇷 Korea Govt rice donation, terming it “timely” amid rising refugee needs and food ration cuts. He also reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to refugee inclusion through the Shirika Plan. #DRS #ShirikaPlan #RefugeeSupport