40,000 Kenyan Citizens Trapped in Refugee Database Cannot Access Basic Services
Nairobi, 9 April 2026
Kenyan citizens of Somali descent face a bureaucratic nightmare as biometric systems mistakenly classify them as refugees, blocking access to national identity documents and essential services. Since 2007’s UNHCR registration system, over 40,000 Kenyans have been wrongly recorded as refugees in Dadaab camp records. Despite government verification efforts since 2019 clearing 14,000 cases, 26,000 remain trapped in the system, unable to prove their citizenship or access healthcare, education, and employment opportunities that require official identification.
Biometric System Creates Identity Crisis
The crisis stems from UNHCR’s implementation of a biometric registration system in 2007 at the Dadaab refugee complex, which was established in 1991 due to Somalia’s civil war [1]. When the Department of Refugee Affairs assumed control of the refugee database from UNHCR in 2016, thousands of Kenyan citizens found themselves trapped in a system that classified them as refugees rather than nationals [1]. The case of Amina Saida illustrates the human cost of this administrative failure. Born to Kenyan parents, she was taken to Dadaab at age two in 2006 [1]. When she attempted to obtain her national identity card in 2022, she was told her fingerprints appeared in the refugee database [1]. ‘The registrar of persons informed me that they could not grant me an ID because I was from Somalia,’ Saida explained [1].
Government Verification Efforts Fall Short
Since 2019, the Kenyan government has initiated a verification process involving the departments of refugee services, national registration bureau, national intelligence service, and UNHCR to clear Kenyan citizens from the refugee database [1]. Kenya’s Commissioner for Refugee Affairs, Mercy Mwasaru, confirmed that 14,000 Kenyans have been successfully cleared from the refugee database through this process [1]. However, with over 40,000 Kenyans estimated by rights organisation Haki na Sheria to be registered as refugees in Dadaab, the government still faces the challenge of clearing 26,000 remaining citizens [1]. Mwasaru acknowledged the complexity of the process, stating: ‘The process takes time because of the work involved, and it involves different agencies. But we will ensure that anyone who is a Kenyan citizen and who registered as a refugee is removed from the refugee register’ [1].
Legal Framework and Shirika Plan Implementation
Kenya’s efforts to address the citizenship crisis gained momentum with the introduction of the Shirika Plan in March 2025, designed to integrate refugees into host communities [1]. This policy shift represents a significant departure from previous approaches to refugee management in Kenya [1]. The verification process has become increasingly urgent as affected individuals face systematic exclusion from essential services that require national identification documents [1]. Despite government assurances, some verified citizens continue to experience delays in receiving their identification documents, with promises of three-month processing times remaining unfulfilled years later [1].
Ongoing Challenges and Citizen Determination
The persistence of these bureaucratic obstacles has not deterred affected Kenyan citizens from pursuing their rights. One individual identified as Gure, who was vetted in 2020 and told identification documents would be issued within three months, exemplifies the determination of those caught in the system [1]. ‘We are not giving up. Our citizenship is a right that cannot be taken away from us,’ Gure stated, reflecting the resolve of thousands still awaiting resolution [1]. The crisis highlights broader challenges within Kenya’s refugee registration processes and their unintended impact on citizens in areas with significant Somali communities [1]. As of April 2026, the government’s verification efforts continue, though the timeline for clearing all remaining cases remains uncertain [1].