Structural Dynamics of Refugee Entrepreneurship and Integration in Kenya: A Case Study in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement

Abstract

This research investigates the role of entrepreneurship training programs in fostering economic independence and integration among refugees in Kenya. This year (2023) we are witnessing the largest ever single-year increase in forced displacements globally, highlighting forced displacement as a pressing global development issue. Kenya is a major refugee-hosting country currently providing refuge to more than half a million refugees from neighboring countries. More than 200,000 of these refugees are hosted in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement located in a remote area of Turkana County. Although Kenya has a history of harsh encampment policies toward refugees, recent legislation is presenting a positive shift in attitudes and a more lenient stance toward refugee regulations. At the same time, with the UN Refugee Agency facing a funding gap, development actors and governments have started to look towards more long-term development approaches. With terms such as self-reliance and economic inclusion becoming prominent within policy discussions related to forced migration, this research offers valuable insights into the role of entrepreneurship training in empowering refugees to achieve economic independence and facilitating their integration into Kenyan society. This study applies a multimethod qualitative approach by using data collected through semi-structured interviews with refugees and the host community in Kakuma, a local Turkana organization, and an international NGO. Additionally, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research topic, a focus group discussion was facilitated, and observations were conducted. This qualitative data is analyzed through the integration framework presented by Ager and Strang (2018) together with the Structuration Theory by Anthony Giddens. This study reveals that while some refugees, who have received entrepreneurship training, have managed to start a business, economic independence remains elusive as they continue to heavily rely on conventional aid, such as food assistance. This is largely due to small business profits resulting from high competition within a homogeneous market in the area. Additionally, this research emphasizes the importance of considering informal institutions and their role in refugee integration within a Global South context. It is concluded that the integration framework by Ager and Strang does not fully capture the structures and context of integration in Kenya, where informal institutions play a pivotal role. Instead, I provide meaningful insights into how Structuration Theory can complement the integration model, by capturing the underlying structures of Kenyan society, through which refugees integrate. Through this research paper, I show how entrepreneurship training facilitates the interaction between refugees and the host community in Kakuma and hereby links refugees with structures of the state to access services. This research also exposes that regulative frameworks alone are not enough to foster easy integration of refugees into society. This is not only due to the limited resources and capacity to fully implement and enforce integration regulations in Kenya but also due to the underlying informal structures in Kenyan society which formal regulations do not capture.