Living in difference and in common: urban refugees and convivial cultures in Kenya
Lead Research Organisation:
International Institute for Environment and Development
Department Name: Human Settlements Group
Abstract
This project seeks to improve knowledge on how relationships between urban refugees and local communities contribute to building trust and maintaining peace in Kenyan towns and cities. It explores the ways in which peaceful coexistence can be promoted between communities that have different cultural backgrounds, but share the challenges associated with urbanisation and poverty. It also seeks to strengthen an existing international network that brings together academic researchers in the Human Settlements Group at (IIED), with two institutions in Kenya: SDI-Kenya (a federation of organised low-income urban communities) and Koch Films (youth-led participatory film-makers).
Together the network will explore and document positive relationships and interactions between urban refugees and host populations in urban centres in Kenya, as well as sites of tension and mistrust. New knowledge will be generated through the use of participatory research methods, including urban ethnographic walks and documentary film-making. It will focus on three themes:
1. Community-based slum upgrading: how a federation of slum dwellers in Nairobi (SDI) has expanded its scope of work to ensure slum improvement processes are inclusive of forcibly displaced people, and that municipal authorities are aware of their challenges, aspirations and perspectives;
2. Protection of vulnerable people: how local grassroots safehouses established and run by the Kenyan-Somali community protect women in vulnerable situations and navigate relationships with the UN refugee agency and the local police;
3. Shared local livelihoods: how relationships of trust and cooperation are built through shared local livelihoods, and what factors and actors contribute to economic and social well-being in market hubs where urban refugees work.
This knowledge will be disseminated in a range of media, to inform different audiences. Alongside an article for academic publication, evidence generated by the project will be used to develop recommendations and a policy briefing for national and municipal governments, and for the UN refugee agency, to support protection of urban refugees and promote more inclusive cities. It will also inform a documentary film that shares the experiences of urban refugees and promotes public debate on peaceful coexistence between urban refugees and local populations. The film will be screened to local and international audiences.
Together the network will explore and document positive relationships and interactions between urban refugees and host populations in urban centres in Kenya, as well as sites of tension and mistrust. New knowledge will be generated through the use of participatory research methods, including urban ethnographic walks and documentary film-making. It will focus on three themes:
1. Community-based slum upgrading: how a federation of slum dwellers in Nairobi (SDI) has expanded its scope of work to ensure slum improvement processes are inclusive of forcibly displaced people, and that municipal authorities are aware of their challenges, aspirations and perspectives;
2. Protection of vulnerable people: how local grassroots safehouses established and run by the Kenyan-Somali community protect women in vulnerable situations and navigate relationships with the UN refugee agency and the local police;
3. Shared local livelihoods: how relationships of trust and cooperation are built through shared local livelihoods, and what factors and actors contribute to economic and social well-being in market hubs where urban refugees work.
This knowledge will be disseminated in a range of media, to inform different audiences. Alongside an article for academic publication, evidence generated by the project will be used to develop recommendations and a policy briefing for national and municipal governments, and for the UN refugee agency, to support protection of urban refugees and promote more inclusive cities. It will also inform a documentary film that shares the experiences of urban refugees and promotes public debate on peaceful coexistence between urban refugees and local populations. The film will be screened to local and international audiences.
| Description | Analysis is still underway, and it is too early to present a final, high-level summary of findings. We list here some emerging findings that relate to the grant's objectives: - Refugees are contributing to Nairobi's culture and economy in important ways. Expanding Nairobi's food scene is a clear example. The creation of new markets is also a strategy to avoid direct competition with Kenyan vendors, which carries risks of harassment and intimidation. By expanding Nairobi's food scene, refugees also make Nairobi a more welcoming space for migrants generally, allowing more communities to make Nairobi home, and contributing to its convivial culture. - Refugees are active in Kenyan civil society, engaging in existing networks, creating their own organizations, as well establishing new ways of working and living based on solidarity. These new social, economic and political formations can be inclusive of Kenyans as well, especially in the case of LGBTQI+ refugees. - Refugees do have particular protection needs that are not being addressed. This can make the city and unsafe space for refugees. This is especially the case for LGBTQI+ refugees. The actions of members of the police force contribute to widespread mistrust amongst all refugee communities. LGBTQI+ refugees also have specific protection needs around housing (including frequent occurrences of violence by neighbours). - Refugees are limited by challenges around documentation. This impacts on the way they interact with the city, its institutions, and their possible future. It prevents them registering or expanding businesses, presents hurdles when seeking scholarships and further education or training opportunities, impacts on jobs they can and do apply to, as well as makes them more vulnerable to harassment by members of the police force. |
| Exploitation Route | Findings present opportunities for project partners Slum-Dwellers International - Kenya (SDI-Kenya) to engage Nairobi County City Government (NCCG) and the Department of Refugee Services (DRS) in informing their approach to implementing the new Refugee Act (2021). It also presents opportunities for project partners Amka Africa Justice Initiative to campaign to better the protection mechanisms for LGBTQI+ refugees. |
| Sectors | Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | Project outputs are still under development, and it is too early to point towards specific planned impacts. However, the main evolving path to impact that we hope to report on more concretely in future cycles are the discussions project partners are having with the Department of Refugee Services (DRS) and the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG). The findings from the project have informed discussions between project partner SDI-Kenya (represented by its Associate Director, Mr. Jack Makau), DRS and NCCG. Discussions have so far centred around how DRS (as the responsible national ministry for refugee protection) and NCCG (as a refugee hosting city) can better respond to refugee needs and enhance refugees' contributions to host societies. With the passage of the new Refugee Act (2021), both entities have established forums for discussing their anticipated roles in implementing the Act. Project partner and SDI Associate Director Jack Makau has been invited to those meetings, and we have additionally requested follow-on funding especially to support his engagement in these discussions. Further more, partner organisation SDI-Kenya has used the research process to make connections between participants and other organisations they work with to refer participants to the support they need, for example to address medical needs. We have also specified a focus on LGBTQI+ refugees within this work, through a new partnership with Amka Africa Justice Initiative, and will continue to identify impactful ways of bringing attention to this particularly vulnerable group within the urban refugee community in Nairobi. Finally, the project contributed to expanding urban walking methods by coupling them with documentary filmmaking. This novel approach drew on walking method's strengths for research purposes but makes the findings accessible to new non-academic audiences. It also provides refugee participants with a platform to narrate their own experiences. We will report more fully on this innovation in coming cycles, after screenings of the film with participants and refugee communities have been held. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Urban refugees in East Africa |
| Amount | £170,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | IKEA |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Sweden |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 12/2024 |
| Description | Dr Tucker Landesman, Senior Researcher, IIED joining project team |
| Organisation | International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | IIED's research team working on the project were committed to pursuing an intersectional approach and engaged Dr. Landesman for advice on ethics and safeguarding in relation to including LGBTQI+ refugee participants in the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr. Landesman supported the project with resources from separately held funding available to him to support a gender sensitivity training workshop for project team members (UK and Kenyan researchers, partners at SDI Kenya, and filmmakers from Koch films) that was conducted by Amka Africa Justice Initiative. |
| Impact | Outcome: Methodology evaluated in terms of safety and risk mitigation for LGBTQI+ research participants. Outputs: Blog by trans-rights activist on experiences and struggles of LGBTQI+ refugees as they try to establish new lives in Nairobi (Silent battles, resounding strength: the lives of tarnsgender refugees in Kenya: https://www.iied.org/silent-battles-resounding-strength-lives-transgender-refugees-kenya) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Engagement with Department of Refugee Services (DRS) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Mr Jack Makau, project partner and Associate Director at SDI Kenya, met with the Deputy Commissioner at DRS and shared initial findings from the project. Discussions revolved around DRS's role in supporting urban refugees, the contributions of refugees to host cities, and how Kenya can support its economy by better integrating them. Further, Mr. Makau learned of DRS planned approaches to implementing the New Refugee Act. He was invited to share further findings from the project to inform the implementation of the New Refugee Act. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Engagement with Nairobi County City Government (NCCG) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Mr Jack Makau, project partner and Associate Director at SDI Kenya, met with Assistant Director of Youth Affairs at Nairobi County City Goverment (NCCG) and shared initial findings from the project. Discussions revolved around the contributions refugees make to the City, and how the City can support its local economy by better integrating them. Further, Mr. Makau learned of NCCG's planned approaches to implementing the New Refugee Act. He was invited to share further findings from the project to inform the implementation of the New Refugee Act. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |