7000001904 - Consultancy to implement output 2: The access of refugees and host communities to sustainable energy services has improved (Energy Component)

Summary

Kenya hosts over 858,137 refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from Somalia, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, concentrated in the Dadaab and Kakuma/Kalobeyei camps and surrounding host communities. These regions face structural poverty, limited access to basic services, scarce energy infrastructure, and high unemployment, particularly among youth, women, and people with disabilities. Refugees earn limited income through trade, casual labor, or small-scale businesses, while host communities largely depend on livestock farming and informal employment. Resource scarcity, unequal access to aid, and environmental pressures have contributed to social tensions and occasional conflicts between refugees and local populations. In response, the Government of Kenya launched the Shirika Plan in 2025 to transition from short-term humanitarian assistance toward sustainable, development-focused integration. The Plan aims to create inclusive settlements where refugees and host communities live together with improved access to education, livelihoods, energy, and vocational training. It provides a legal and institutional framework for local integration and economic participation in line with the Global Compact on Refugees. The project "Support for the Implementation of the Shirika Plan to Strengthen the Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees and Host Communities in Kenya (SISI RH)" runs from October 2025 to September 2028. Commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), it is jointly implemented by GIZ, UNHCR, and the Department of Refugee Services (DRS/MINA) under the Special Initiative "Refugees and Host Countries." The project strengthens living conditions, enhances government capacities, and expands access to sustainable energy, vocational training, and employment services. The project delivers three key outputs: 1. Government Capacity Building: Supporting national and local authorities to implement the Shirika Plan effectively. 2. Access to Sustainable Energy: Expanding modern energy services, including clean cooking solutions and solar power, to promote livelihoods, climate resilience, and socio-economic integration. 3. Skills Development and Employment Promotion: Providing vocational training and employment opportunities, with particular attention to women, youth, and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities. By linking humanitarian aid, development cooperation, and peacebuilding, the project contributes to Kenya Vision 2030, BMZ"s Country Strategy Kenya, the Global Compact on Refugees, and international climate and development frameworks, including the Paris Agreement and EU Green Deal. It fosters social cohesion, promotes gender equality, supports mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, and empowers refugees and host communities to build secure, sustainable, and self-reliant futures.