A Sustainable Solution or Just a Different Form of Humanitarian Assistance? Examining the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan (KISEDP)

This article contributes to the understanding of operational challenges linked to the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework . In the scope of the analysis is the operationalisation of the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan in Kenya, aimed at promoting economic and social integration through greater opportunities for self-reliance, livelihood, and inclusion in national service systems for refugees and the host population alike. The article sheds light on the conditions and prospects for developing the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan by examining key circumstances and interplays in two areas central to the idea of refugee/host integration – relevant national legal frameworks and the composition of grounding socio-economic factors. The results show the need for revisions to the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan if its most grounding objectives are to materialise. As it stands, the implementation builds on an incompatible amalgamation of a grand development vision, speaking about inclusion, mobility, and economic development, to be carried out in a much restricted and economically challenging environment.