Kakuma as a Marketplace: A Consumer and Market Study of a Refugee Camp and Town in Northwest Kenya

This is an innovative study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and UNHCR, which concludes that many refugees are not just passive recipients of aid, but are involved in economic activity. The report shows there are opportunities for private-sector organizations to do business in the camp and its neighboring town.

The study looks at Kakuma from the perspective of setting up a private business. It finds that there are more than 2,000 businesses and smalls shops in Kakuma, and the area’s economy is worth 6 billion shillings (US$56 million). According to the study, half of household incomes is spent on consumers products, a market worth more than US $26 million per year.

Data was collected on business ownership, consumption levels and access to finance, telecommunications, education and employment. The findings show Kakuma’s economy is thriving and there are opportunities for the private sector to invest in ventures in the refugee and host communities, which promote self-reliance, financial independence and the empowerment of refugees, reducing reliance on humanitarian aid and integrating refugees socially and economically.