Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government on Monday 5th October addressed the 66th Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme in Geneva Switzerland on the opening day.
The committee highlights the plight against refugees and displaced persons and gains achieved by the programme and equivalently discussing measures to be implemented in aiding the displaced people.
Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Joseph Nkaisserry highlighted the successes, challenges, measures and Kenya’s contribution towards helping the displaced persons of the world and especially in the East African region.
Key Highlights of Nkaisserry’s Speech:
- Kenya is host to more than half a million refugees in some of the ecologically fragile parts of the country in the past decade.
- Kenya’s geographical location at the helm of conflict struck countries like South Sudan, Somalia and Burundi could influx the number of refugees in Kenya.
- The recent influx of refugees into Europe and the tragic death of refugees crossing the in Europe prompt Kenya to adhere to the global responsibility of sharing the burden across all regions globally.
- The refugee influx into Europe should at no cost be uniquely handled by the European continent alone but as a global crisis that requires universal solutions.
- The global solution sort after will not only reduce the refugee burden to Europe but also benefit countries like Kenya that have disproportionately bore the burden of refugees for over a decade.
- Nkaisserry addressed the recent challenge posed by the refugee camps that have turned into terrorist havens and randevu points for terrorism activities on the civilian host population like Garissa University Massacre and West Gate in Kenya.
- He also addressed the concerned posed by UNHCR official that facilitate terrorist activities siting that countries like Kenya cannot run and protect populations that pose threats of whatever nature the safety and security of the general populace.
- He highlighted the major milestones achieved by Kenya troops in Somalia to ensure its safety and stability. The gains of the troops prompted the Tripartite Agreement that facilitates the voluntary return of Somali refugees to the secure areas of Somalia.
- The repatriation process is however not going as first as it should especially because it is very crucial to Somalia’s August 2016 polls that will determine the political and democratic direction of the country.
- The unwillingness of the international community to aid the repatriation process poses the biggest impediment to the exercise, were the CS urged the support of the global community.
Nkaisserry urged the global cooperation towards the Global Initiative on Somali Refugees whose pledges will contribute to the burden sharing and rehabilitation of Somalia for the safe return of its displaced citizens both domestically and abroad.
Photo Courtesy
