Many displaced and host populations in Kenya are being systematically marginalized or socially excluded. We have established that there are inherent barriers, constraints, and discriminatory attitudes that exclude and disadvantage them. We believe that all the displaced and host populations should be treated fairly and without discrimination, whatever their diverse and overlapping identities, values, beliefs, or needs. We intend to use different strategies to make systemic and social change happen at the micro and macro levels. Our strategic pathways, mentioned below, will cut across all the development objectives and activities.

Advocacy and thought leadership
We recognize that for any meaningful systemic change to occur there must be a deliberate and concerted effort to ensure that policies and plans are inclusive and responsive to the needs of the displaced and host populations. Having worked hard to ensure the passage of the Refugees Act 2021, we will influence the government at the county and national levels to fully implement and evaluate the Act. At the local level, we will work to increase the uptake of ideas as contained in the Act so that the displaced and host populations can hold the government accountable. We will participate in and influence the inclusion of the displaced and host population issues in the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP) as well as county-based legislations. Of particular interest to us is the implementation of legislation related to climate change in the areas we work in. We will map out these legislations and engage with the government and relevant institutions towards implementation and enforcement. In areas where abuse, violence, and neglect of women have been taken as a norm, we will work with courts, police, and County Assemblies to influence long-term and immediate action for survivors and victims. To inform our evidence-based advocacy and thought leadership, we will conduct research and develop case studies to inform our approach from an informed point of view.

We will influence the National Police Service (NPS) and other Government training institutions such as the Kenya School of Government to approve and acknowledge our training curriculum. We will continue to influence the inclusion of the displaced and host populations’ issues through membership in various committees such as the Technical International Committee to implement the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), the Refugee Working Group, a multistakeholder technical working group that brings voices to addressing refugees’ problems in Kenya. We will join the global participants to speak on humanitarian work and give national perspectives on the refugee situation in Kenya and the region.

Innovation and learning
Developing new thinking, matched with practical solutions, on specific issues and trends and their impact on the displaced and the host populations will be a priority. The selection of issues will be informed by visioning and scenario planning, collaborating with others on issues and trends we identify in our work. Through listening to the displaced and host populations and gathering key information and evidence, we will, with others, develop new thinking, generate debates, challenge assumptions, and inspire changes in attitudes. Haki Institute will be modelled as a learning hub and apart from the courses, the Institute will launch a series of national, regional, and global learnings through webinars, conferences, and workshops. Of interest to the learning hub will be the intersection with other global trends, such as climate change, pressure on local resources, urbanization, immigrant labour uptake, and utilization, and technology. The institute will look at these trends and their impact on rights and the opportunities for interventions with policy and decision makers to promote positive change.

Capacity building and support
We will continue to be a capacity building expert for various institutions including the Government of Kenya and international Non-Governmental Organizations in the areas of laws on SGBV prevention, response, awareness of cultural practices, and peacebuilding for better understanding and knowledge of rights, especially in the areas of asylum, and repatriation. We will create awareness and education for court users, the displaced and host populations. We will continue to train women on issues of gender in addition to training police officers, court users, and partner agencies.

Partnerships and localizations
To create an inclusive and just world for the displaced and host populations, we must work with them, their networks, civil society, health providers, organizations within the justice systems, county and national governments, East Africa Community, and Africa Union to transform systems, challenge attitudes and social norms, and influence policies. For the displaced and host populations to enjoy their quality of life, change must happen at the local, national, and regional levels. We will deliberately work with locally based organizations in areas we work to reach and impact our beneficiaries.

Gender Equality
We are committed to prioritizing the promotion of gender equality in all our work. We recognize that gender is increasingly viewed as being on a spectrum and the need for sensitivity to gender identities that are not expressed within binary (man and woman) categories. We will seek to broaden and deepen our understanding of what this means and how to transform gender relations. We know that the inequalities women and girls face in terms of power relations, voice, and access to resources are compounded by displacement while at the same time, women and girls form the majority of those displaced. We will orient and prioritize our gender equality work primarily towards the empowerment of women and girls and the transformation of currently unequal gender relations between women and men, boys, and girls.

Disability inclusion
Our experience over the years is that the displaced and host populations with disabilities face physical, social, and attitudinal barriers to their participation and inclusion and may encounter double discrimination because of their age, gender, and impairment. We know that women with disabilities are at particular risk of violence, abuse, and neglect. We will collaborate with our partners to ensure that people with disabilities are not disadvantaged further.

Emerging Trends
We will explore how the displaced and host populations intersect with other global trends such as climate change and technology and are alert to the potential impact on rights and opportunities for interventions with policy and decision makers to promote positive change.