Kenya has been urged to improve data on refugees within the region.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) calls comes against the backdrop of swelling numbers of people seeking refugee and asylum status in Kenya.

At least 573,500 registered refugees and asylum seekers were in Kenya by the end of 2022, with 85 per cent from Somalia and South Sudan.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the majority are in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in Garissa and Turkana counties respectively.

The Igad region hosted 4.59 million registered refugees and asylum seekers by May this year, according to Charles Ogolla, the Igad’s head of statistics in the division of planning, coordination and partnership.

“In total, the region has an estimated 12.15 million internally displaced persons. However, not all individuals within these groups are well-captured,” Ogolla (pictured) said at the ongoing fourth Igad Migration Data Technical Working Group workshop in Nairobi.

The meeting, which brings together representatives from the eight countries, the African Union and several development partners, aims to improve migration statistics within the Igad region by strengthening national and regional actors who produce such data.

“Accurate and comprehensive migration and displacement data is essential for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to effectively respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by this phenomenon,” he said.

Igad comprises Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Eritrea and South Sudan.
The working group meeting provides the data actors with an opportunity to share knowledge, exchange best practices and address the challenges associated with migration and displacement statistics.