Kenya launches Refugee Management Curriculum

Kenya is facing increasingly complex realities in supporting refugees and host communities. Alongside long-term refugee situations, the country is also navigating new migration dynamics and growing pressure on public institutions at both national and county level to provide services that were mainly humanitarian led.

Against this backdrop, the Kenya School of Government officially launched the Refugee Management Curriculum on 24 April 2026. The occasion also marked the graduation of the programme’s first cohort.

Built around local realities

The curriculum was developed together with VNG International, The Hague Academy for Local Governance and other partners. It was shaped through multi-stakeholder consultations and built around the realities faced by public officers working in refugee-hosting counties. The programme was also tested in practice to strengthen local ownership and ensure long-term sustainability.

The initiative reflects a growing recognition that supporting refugees and host communities is not only a humanitarian responsibility, but also a governance challenge. It requires public institutions that can coordinate effectively, deliver inclusive services and respond to the needs of communities under pressure.

The role of local governments

Local governments play an important role in this. They are often at the forefront of service delivery and social cohesion in areas affected by displacement. Strengthening their capacity contributes not only to better support for refugees and host communities, but also to more resilient and stable communities overall.

The curriculum combines both policy and practical dimensions of displacement and migration governance. Participants explore topics including migration management, legal and policy frameworks, inclusive service delivery, conflict sensitivity and social cohesion. Throughout the programme, participants connect these themes directly to the day-to-day realities of their work.

First cohort graduates

The first cohort included 30 officers from the Department of Refugee Services, Garissa, Turkana and Nairobi City Counties, and the municipalities of Dadaab and Kakuma. The programme was supported by partners including VNG Internationa, DANIDA and Inkomoko.

As Kenya’s primary institution for public sector training, the Kenya School of Government is expected to play an important role in strengthening the leadership, competencies and institutional capacity needed to respond to displacement in the years ahead.

Long-term investment in local governance

For VNG International and its partners, the curriculum represents a long-term investment in capable public institutions and stronger local governance. Because stability starts locally.

Video

This video explains how VNG International supports the development of a refugee management curriculum in Kenya.