This article examines the problem of insecurity in two refugee-populated areas of Kenya: Kakuma, in the north-west of the country, and Dadaab, in the north-east. It provides a typology of the security incidents which occur most commonly in these areas and examines the steps which UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations have taken to address the problem. Explaining why these measures have failed to reduce the high level of violence that takes place in and around the country's refugee camps, the article focuses on three related issues: the political economy of the Kenyan state; the manner in which the government and other actors have sought to manage the country's refugee situation; and the characteristics and circumstances of the refugees themselves.

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violence informal settlement refugee Kenya political economy