Engagements by Pamoja Trust in 2025 under the Re:BUiLD program

Throughout 2025, Pamoja Trust advanced refugee inclusion, strengthened community systems, and promoted collaborative governance as part of the Re:BUiLD program. Guided by our mission to support dignified and equitable urban development, we worked with Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs), County Governments, civil society actors, and host communities to deepen refugee integration in Nairobi and its metropolitan areas.

Below is an overview of our key national-level engagements and achievements.

1. Media Engagement and Visibility
To strengthen public understanding of refugee issues, Pamoja Trust convened a joint forum that brought together civil society organisations, refugee-led networks, and media stakeholders. The forum documented government efforts on refugee inclusion and explored opportunities for positive, accurate reporting on refugee self-reliance and economic participation.

This collaboration has helped create a network of media partners committed to amplifying empowering narratives and countering misinformation about refugees in Kenya.

2. Promoting Refugee Inclusion in County Services
Pamoja Trust worked with the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) public health sub-sector to identify barriers refugees face in accessing county health services. A workshop with RLOs and community leaders analyzed the challenges and proposed involving refugees as community health champions.

Additionally, stakeholders reviewed the Shirika Plan, resulting in an advisory document outlining practical recommendations for integrating urban refugees into county policies and service delivery systems.

3. Advocacy and Systems Strengthening at the Community Level
In June 2025, we organized radio talk shows in celebration of International Women’s Day, amplifying refugee women’s voices and highlighting their rights and contributions to self-reliance and integration. Refugee and host women’s rights defenders received training on advocacy and human rights, equipping them with practical strategies for seeking justice and protection. The International Women’s Day commemoration in Kawangware brought together refugee and host women to showcase initiatives in gender-based violence (GBV) response, livelihoods and cultural preservation, promoting mutual learning and solidarity.

These engagements strengthened solidarity, learning, and joint advocacy between refugee and host women.

4. RLO Capacity Enhancement in Governance and Sustainability
In efforts to promote integration of refugees with host communities and build cohesion within urban communities, Pamoja trust has been conducting capacity building sessions for 15 Refugee Led Organizations in Nairobi and its Metropolitan area to complement the organization’s efforts on refugee rights and inclusion. The rebuild program believes in the narrative that building strong RLO institutions creates an enabling environment to amplify integration efforts in Nairobi County. The RLOs have undergone a series of trainings on institutional management, governance structures, key policy documents, internal control mechanisms, resource mobilization, stakeholder engagement and sustainability mechanisms.

The trainings have enabled RLOs to advance in their operations and simultaneously widen their scope of work. In Kitengela, 4 RLOs (Oak solution, Pamoja Twaweza, Port of Manna, Ubuntu refugee, Jump over Seven Feet) have not only managed to develop finance and procurement policies but have also been able to secure in-kind support from donors and well-wishers. RLOs have been able to draft strategic plans that have seen them have more guided interventions featuring local players and government offices. In streamlining operations, working on governance structures and expanding partners base, Oak solution in Kitengela, for instance, has been able to attract bigger international donors with the probability of securing bigger funding. Other RLOs like Umoja Refugees and Kivuli curving have since established greater relations with the Nairobi County government to the extent of securing exhibition booths in the county’s trade fair conducted quarterly.

The Kangemi network’s Imani group received training on financial literacy, group savings, and alternative livelihoods such as poultry and mushroom farming, and was linked to Equity Bank for account opening. Re:Build also held co-learning sessions with RLO leaders to co-design a year-long capacity-building program. This resulted in a refugee-led organizations status report that identified key thematic areas for future training, capacity enhancement, and sustainability.

5. Refugee & Host Community Engagement with County Governments:
Pamoja Trust continues to facilitate structured engagements between refugees, host communities, and county leadership to ensure refugee needs are reflected in policy and planning.

• Strengthening Participation in Governance
  In Jamhuri, Roysambu, and Kangemi refugees were integrated into local governance spaces such as chief barazas, security meetings, and dialogues expanding participation and building mutual trust with local administrators.
  In Kayole, a joint tree-planting activity and chief’s baraza brought together 101 participants, fostering cohesion and awareness of government services.
• Participation in County Budget Processes
  Refugee representatives joined host community budget champions in reviewing county budget estimates and the finance bill. Together, they submitted memoranda to both the Nairobi County Assembly and the National Assembly, ensuring refugee concerns are reflected in public finance decisions.
• Influencing County Development Planning
  Through Pamoja Trust facilitation, refugees and host communities contributed to sub-county strategic planning across: Westlands, Dagoretti North, Kibra, Mathare, Kamukunji, Embakasi Central & South, Kasarani and Roysambu
  More than 100 refugees directly participated in identifying priority projects and policy issues. Their contributions were incorporated into the Nairobi County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2022–2027, which now includes provisions addressing refugee needs and designates offices responsible for refugee affairs.

Strengthening Service Access Through County Partnerships
Re:BUiLD held bilateral meetings with county departments to improve refugee access to health services and participation in civic processes.
Engagements in Kibra, Kayole, and Githurai linked refugees to chiefs, police, Nyumba Kumi officials, and county officers. In Kibra, these consultations resulted in the formation of a temporary committee dedicated to bridging service gaps for refugees.

Pamoja Trust also contributed to the review of the NCCG Fiscal Strategy Paper 2025 and participated in the development and launch of the Nairobi County Refugee Integration and Community Building Strategy (NCRIS), ensuring refugee perspectives continue to shape county policymaking.

Conclusion
In 2025, the final year, Pamoja Trust’s work under the Re:BUiLD program made significant progress in strengthening refugee inclusion, enhancing institutional capacity, and promoting collaborative urban governance. By empowering RLOs, facilitating constructive engagement with county structures, and amplifying refugee voices, we continue to champion an inclusive, cohesive, and dignified urban environment for all.