Prime Cabinet Secretary and Acting Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed on Wednesday, April 2, that the government will not compensate any of the over 5,000 Kenyan refugees in Ethiopia seeking to return.
Mudavadi was speaking at the Senate, where he was responding to queries by Senators over the 5,671 individuals in the Dillo and Megado regions who fled the country in the early 2000s.
In his response, the Mudavadi clarified the government’s role in the process of repatriating Kenyan refugees in foreign countries.
“The government only facilitates return and reintegration into Kenyan society for any Kenyan refugee granted asylum by any country. No compensation is paid by the government for any returning Kenyan,” Mudavadi stated.
Over 500 families of Kenyan origin living in the Dillo and Megado areas of southern Ethiopia ran away to seek asylum due to inter-ethnic conflicts in North Horr in 2000, culminating in what came to be known as the Turbi Massacre.
To that effect, Mudavadi informed that the Kenyan and Ethiopian governments, in partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), would facilitate the repatriation of the asylum seekers back home.
He noted that currently, 4,993 individuals have expressed interest in returning to Kenya, and the process of repatriation should begin subject to pre-set guidelines.
“There are a number of issues that have been expressed and need to be addressed before repatriation begins. One is where the displaced persons will return to and how they will be accommodated in regards to land and housing, among other issues,” Mudavadi posited.
“The refugees have been relying on humanitarian assistance, and they will need similar support until they are fully integrated. We will have to deal with their safety and security in the settlement areas, and there has to be a proper formal reception organised,” he added.
The latest comes as these settlements face prolonged challenges, particularly in water and sanitation, due to their remote locations and insufficient infrastructure, complicating support efforts for aid organisations.
Despite the clamour led by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute to repatriate the refugees, Mudavadi could not give a substantial timeline of when the refugees will be repatriated.
Mudavadi stated that the process of repatriation was complicated by the pre-set guidelines of repatriation, the diplomatic and bureaucratic process between the two governments, and the readiness of host communities to take the refugees in.
The latest comes after the government recently launched the Shirika Plan, which aims to promote the socio-economic inclusion of refugees in the country by transforming camps into integrated settlements for both refugees and asylum seekers.
