Turkana County Seeks More National Funding to Support Large Refugee Populations
Lodwar, 6 August 2026
Turkana County is lobbying Kenya’s Commission on Revenue Allocation to include refugee-hosting status in its funding formula, aiming to ease severe strain on local infrastructure and public services.
The Growing Strain on Local Infrastructure
The host communities of Turkana County have long accommodated hundreds of thousands of displaced persons from across East and Central Africa within the Kakuma Refugee Camp and the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement [1]. However, this humanitarian hospitality has come at a significant financial cost to the region’s public infrastructure [1]. Every day, healthcare facilities, water supply systems, and municipal roads are stretched to their limits as both local residents and non-voting refugee populations access the same basic resources [1]. Under the current national revenue-sharing framework, Kenya’s Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) distributes funds based on variables such as registered resident population, poverty levels, and land area [1]. This formula systematically overlooks the multi-decadal financial weight borne by host counties that support vast, unregistered refugee populations [1].
Lobbying for Formula Reform
In response to these mounting pressures, the Turkana County government is actively lobbying the CRA to introduce a dedicated ‘refugee-hosting status’ parameter into the national revenue-sharing formula [1][2][3]. On 4 August 2026, Turkana Deputy Governor Dr John Erus met with UN Women Country Representative Antonia N’gabala Sodonon to discuss these structural funding challenges and to explore collaborative solutions [1][2]. Dr Erus emphasised that Turkana, alongside Garissa County, continues to carry municipal and social responsibilities that extend far beyond their officially recognised resident populations [1]. By securing direct funding adjustments from the CRA, local authorities argue they can transition towards an integrated service delivery model that benefits both the host communities and the displaced populations [1][4].
Aligning Budgets and the Shirika Plan
The push for structural revenue reform comes as Turkana County prepares to implement a KSh 16.6 billion budget for the 2026/27 financial year, representing a financial expansion of 5.063 per cent from the KSh 15.8 billion budget in 2025/26 [1]. With the county heavily reliant on the national equitable share and conditional grants rather than locally generated revenue, securing an equitable funding formula is critical to sustaining local operations [1]. To ensure long-term stability, county leadership is aligning its development priorities with the national Shirika Plan [1]. This transition scheme aims to integrate refugee settlements directly into local economies by aligning international humanitarian investments with county-level planning in crucial sectors such as water, urban planning, waste management, and trade [1].