Kenya has launched a world-leading refugee program that will be life changing for more than 830,000 refugees and asylum seekers currently sheltering in the African nation.

Kenya’s President William Ruto has launched the ‘Shirika Plan’ that will transform the country’s refugee camps into integrated settlements, improving the liver of residents.

The plan is a multi-year initiative that aims to promote the socio-economic inclusion of refugees in the country.

“Shirika” can be translated as “cooperation” in the Swahili language.

“The Shirika Plan is our bold, home-grown solution that amplifies the African Union’s call for African solutions to Africa’s problems as well as global challenges,” President Ruto said when launching the plan in Nairobi.

“The plan now gives us a framework to collaborate more ambitiously and pursue historic achievements that will guarantee hope and dignity for refugees, and give host communities due recognition,” she said.

The East African country, which has maintained an open-door asylum policy, is hosting over 700,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from Somalia, South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, due to ongoing regional conflicts.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Kenya is home to two of the world’s largest refugee camps: Dadaab in Garissa County, which hosts more than 420,000 people, and Kakuma in Turkana County, which hosts over 300,000 people.

Under the Shirika Plan, these refugee-hosting areas will be developed into municipalities to increase economic opportunities, education, health, and essential services for refugees and local communities.

President Ruto said the plan, which is centred on human rights, will also encourage burden-sharing, resilience, and shared prosperity amid donor fatigue and diminishing global humanitarian support.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi praised Kenya for hosting a huge number of refugees and asylum seekers despite the various challenges.

“Shirika recognizes that solutions, which shift away from refugee dependency on humanitarian aid toward greater self-reliance, are possible,” Mr Grandi said.

He said that UNHCR was committed to supporting the government of Kenya to turn this innovative plan into a reality.

“Kenya is showing the world that a story of cooperation, inclusion and hope is not only possible, but also necessary and of advantage to all,” Mr Grandi said.

Kenya’s has already introduced new refugee laws that are a radical attempt to address the issue of protracted displacement.

At the heart of Kenya’s ‘Refugee Act 2021’ is a bid to integrate refugee communities into the broader society.

The act means refugees have freedom of movement, the right to work, and access to financial services.

It recognises the right to work and explicitly describes the “special circumstances of refugees”.

The giant Kakuma refugee camp has more than 2,500 businesses and various urban-based employment opportunities.

The camp has a burgeoning growing consumption economy worth US$56 million, or three percent of the gross regional product.