The Kenya Evidence Platform (KEP) has spent three years strengthening locally generated evidence on displacement and creating space for refugee and Kenyan scholars to shape research and policy. Its 2026 conference moved from diagnosing exclusion to showing, through concrete cases from partners, what meaningful refugee inclusion can look like in employment, research and decision-making. It took place amid growing policy uncertainty, days after the announcement of a crackdown on foreign nationals operating small businesses in Kenya.
On employment, participants described progress on legal and administrative conditions, with an estimated 52 Class M work permits issued as of July 2026, a figure reported by participating organisations and not yet verified against official records. A poll during the conference pointed to institutional attitudes as the more persistent barrier, including concern that hiring refugees may be seen as taking jobs from Kenyans. The report sets out best practices for hiring, such as longer-term contracts that support longer permit validity, proper onboarding and the involvement of legal practitioners.
On research, the report finds that growing capacity among refugee and Kenyan researchers has not systematically translated into ownership of the agenda. Local researchers are often brought in after the questions have been set. Recommended practices include involving them from the conceptualisation stage, formally agreeing co-authorship, funding the administrative costs of local research organisations, and reaching community audiences through creative formats.
Looking beyond the programme, the report reflects on what will outlast KEP, including the Forced Migration Research Network Kenya (FOMREK), a network of former research grantees and mentorship of junior scholars, and on the limits of evidence alone in changing systems. Annexes summarise the eight breakout sessions, with links to resources, and profile the researchers. The report is relevant to researchers, refugee-led organisations, employers, donors and policymakers working on refugee inclusion in Kenya.
