Kakuma 101 Facts by a Data Techie.

 

 

 

 

 

Kakuma refugee camp is known as the most diverse refugee camp in the world with over 119k refugees from 5+ countries, also was established in 1992 -  Source : UNHCR and according to a work mate living in Kakuma, he says the population is growing at 2k per month breakdown.  This camp located in the Turkana District, in the northwestern region of Kenya. Kakuma also means “nowhere” in the Swahili language. Majority of the refugees in Kakuma are from South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. Other nationalities represented in the camp include Burundians, Congolese, Eritreans and Ugandans.

Below is a list of findings from my stay and interactions with refugees in my recent visit to this place.

• As of May, 2013 Kakuma refugee camp is now home to over 119k refugees from 5+ countries.
• Kakuma consists of 3 sub camps i.e Kakuma 1, Kakuma 2 and Kakuma 3.
• Personally Kakuma doesn’t look like a refugee camp but just like any other village in East Africa.
• Business is booming in the town, especially Kakuma 1 - you notice lots of cellphone shops, Hair Salons, restaurants.
• Transport readily available, mostly motor bicycle taxis known as “boda bodas” can get you anywhere with no need of 4WD cars.
• Still stands as the worst place with data and voice coverage i’ve ever been to. Kakuma 2 is mentioned by almost everyone as the worst out of the 3 camps.
• Most peaceful and secure refugee camp in Kenya (compared to Dadaab), totally had no insecurity threat for the 5 days there.
• Most diverse refugee camp in the world with people from these nationalities i.e.  majority of the refugees in Kakuma are from South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. Other nationalities represented in the camp include Burundians, Congolese, Eritreans and Ugandans.
• Got some of the best Ethiopian restaurants and food  you will find in Kenya in Unity Hotel and
• The host community are actually poorer than refugees and on number of occasions you see them doing odd jobs for the refugees like fetch water, bring firewood, clean compounds.
• Just like in Dadaab, the few youth we talked to are on Facebook and use Nimbuzz, ebuddy etc and they got phones that enable them get online through opera mini browser or default phone browsers.
• Nokia is still the biggest brand in Kakuma, most people we registered ir interacted with had a Nokia phone.
• The cost of living to me seemed slightly higher than Dadaab, may be because of most commodities coming from Nairobi e.g meals at 80 Ksh, taxi at 50 Ksh etc
• Football (European and International) are a big deal in Kakuma, i can’t count any more the number of people i saw with English football team jerseys like Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal or even national team jerseys like Germany, England, Somalia, Kenya etc
• Trust is earned in refugee camps, so you have to work for it. Nothing like refugees accepting anything that you throw at them e.g the KRCS 2 mins call took time to be trusted, also the UNHCR fingerprint biometrics project took time to be trusted.
• Camps are organised into sections, blocks and zones.
• Youth have facebook, Nimbuzz and ebuddy accounts and internet is still kind of a luxury for most refugees.
• The UNHCR is assisted in its duties by a wide number of organisations, as i noticed different cards from these organisations including, World Food Program (WFP), International Organization for Migration(IOM), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Windle Trust Kenya (WTK), Film Aid International (FAI), Salesians of Don Bosco Kenya.