Oxfam's work in Kenya in depth

In Kenya, Oxfam works with the most vulnerable communities in the dry and remote northern regions, and in the impoverished slums of the capital Nairobi.

 

Latest: East Africa drought

How Oxfam is helping

Since starting work in Kenya in 1963, Oxfam has provided long-term development aid, emergency humanitarian relief, worked to promote peace and manage conflicts between communities, and lobbied governments and donors to alleviate the chronic poverty and suffering across the country.

Oxfam's work in Kenya has taken a one-programme approach that combines development, campaigns and humanitarian response to support communities in the Arid and Semi Arid Lands under the ASAL Programme, and in the urban informal settlements under the Urban Programme. We also carry out Humanitarian work at the Daadab Refugee Camp and across Kenya when need arises.

We work with others from government, international development actors, the private sector, civil society and communities with the aim of significantly reducing poverty, inequity and vulnerability in Kenya.

Working with communities in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands

In Kenya, the highest poverty levels remain in the northern pastoralist districts where a large percentage of the population fall below the national poverty line (Turkana 95%, Marsabit 92%, Mandera 89%, Wajir 84% according to UNICEF). These areas remain largely marginalised and have limited government attention, low private sector investment, regular outbreaks of livestock disease and recurrent droughts.

Oxfam’s work with pastoralists and other marginalised communities in the ASAL areas focuses on: livestock production, the development of market-based alternative and complementary livelihoods, emergency food security (food and cash transfers), water resource development, management and public health, governance, peace-building and conflict resolution.

Supporting poor urban communities

Kenya, like many other developing countries is undergoing rapid urbanisation. With an annual growth rate of 4.4%, it is estimated that 50% of the Kenyan population will be living in urban areas by 2050. This high rate of urbanisation presents a myriad of challenges. 34% of the 17 million poor Kenyans are urban poor and most of them live in informal urban settlements.

Oxfam’s interventions in urban areas are targeted towards supporting processes that will increase co-ordination, especially in the development of humanitarian response indicators, strengthen linkages on advocacy issues at national and international level, mainstream good governance and strengthen the voice of the urban poor. We are doing this through supporting campaign activities that articulate urban poor livelihoods-related concerns such as access to clean portable water and sanitation services as well as access to justice by small-scale traders.

Peace-building and conflict management

Lack of peace and security in a country is a major deterrent to development. For example, in the northern parts of Kenya where cattle rustling, banditry, inter-ethnic and cross-border clashes over resources are common, development achievements have been slow. In urban centres, there has been increased violence due to lack of alternative livelihoods and unemployment among urban poor.

Under the peace-building programme, we focus on enhancing community capacity to resolve conflicts and promote harmonious co-existence and sustained peace. We also engage proactively in national policy dialogue through the National Steering Committee on Peace-Building and Conflict Management, under the Office of the President.

Advocacy

Our engagement in advocacy is aimed at linking development and humanitarian practices with policy and vice-versa for sustainability and to reach more beneficiaries. We incorporate advocacy into our development and humanitarian work as part of a single, one-programme approach in that the advocacy is informed by the development and humanitarian programmes. Our advocacy work is done at all levels, from local community to the international level, depending on the issue at hand.

Our advocacy work involves supporting research and supporting key stakeholders to engage in policy and legislation formulation and implementation for the betterment of poor and marginalised communities. Our work focuses on the following key programme areas: Peace-building and Conflict management, Disaster Management, Food Security and Nutrition, Livestock Management and Marketing, Water, and Land Vision 2030.

Governance

All of Oxfam’s work in Kenya is rooted in promoting better governance – at local, regional and national levels – through strengthening poor peoples’ ability to defend and demand for their rights. We aim to ensure that the government fulfils its responsibilities to poor Kenyans, through our lobbying and advocacy work, and by strengthening civil society organisations to engage with the government on governance related issues on service delivery and the constitution implementation process. We also engage closely with the private sector for our governance advocacy work.

Climate change

Studies show that the poor and marginalised are more vulnerable to climate change. The pastoralist communities of northern Kenya complain that the seasons are becoming increasingly unpredictable with rains failing more frequently than before, leading to more dry spells and severe droughts. Those living in urban areas also battle with floods, high food prices as a result of droughts, and storms that put at risk their already stretched water supplies, infrastructure, health and sources of income.

As a result, Oxfam is working closely with others to support local civil society in holding the government accountable for its response to climate change. We are also generating climate change relevant data to inform advocacy positions at all levels – from local to international. Previous polices have failed to take into account the needs of the poorest and most marginalised communities, a situation which has contributed to the current climate related disasters experienced in the country.

Humanitarian work

Oxfam works in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Daadab to provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene services to Somalian refugees, as well as advocating for their rights.

 

Last updated: February 2011