The Kenyan government has officially elevated the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps to municipalities, ending their status as temporary settlements after over three decades. This change, confirmed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on November 27, 2025, is part of the broader Shirika Plan aimed at integrating refugees and host communities into national systems.

• Kenya currently hosts 843,907 registered refugees and asylum-seekers, with Dadaab having 420,674 residents and Kakuma 302,372.
• The Shirika Plan, launched by President William Ruto on March 25, 2025, is projected to cost approximately KSh 140 billion, funded by entities like the World Bank and the European Union.
• Immediate changes include issuing Class M work permits to refugees and enrolling thousands of refugee children in public schools, with health and education services transferring from UNHCR to county governments by December 2027.