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Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF)

The Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF), a five-year program of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is designed to unlock the economic potential of refugees and their hosts in Turkana County by increasing private sector investments. It aims at enabling better economic integration and self-reliance of displaced populations and their host community. The program is implemented by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), Turkana County Government, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Competitive Business Challenge

KKCF’s competitive business challenge is being managed by The AECF. The competition will support established companies, social enterprises, and local entrepreneurs in implementing commercially viable and sustainable businesses that have the potential to raise incomes, provide goods and services, create jobs, and/or improve living standards in both the camp and host community.

KKCF operates three competitive funding windows: The Private Sector Window (PSW), targeting private sector companies; the Social Enterprise Window (SEW), targeting social enterprises; and the Local Enterprise Development (LED) Window, providing finance and technical assistance to local enterprises from the refugee and host communities.

The program seeks to reach and support 20 medium and large national and international private sector companies and/or social enterprises. 100 local small and micro enterprises will be funded to scale up their businesses. 50,000 people will be given access to improved services, and 500 direct and 1,000 indirect and induced jobs will be supported/ created through beneficiary companies. The other components of the KKCF program include Investment Climate and Policy Advisory, and Hands-On Support to larger firms, which will be implemented by UNHCR and the IFC, respectively.

Objectives

The initiative’s overarching objectives are to:

  • Attract new private businesses and social enterprises to the Kakuma-Kalobeyei areas, which should lead to better employment opportunities for refugees and the host community, increase access to goods and services, and potentially reduce prices;
  • Provide opportunities to scale up the operations of private companies and social enterprises already present in the area;
  • Develop and grow refugee and host community-owned businesses and create opportunities for women and youth;
  • Streamlining procedures to reduce the time and cost of obtaining specific business permits, licenses, and registrations in Turkana West.

KKCF aims to address the following development challenges in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei areas:

  • Limited access to capital has prevented the locals from opening their own businesses.
  • Lack of access to reliable, affordable energy.
  • Lack of clean water for domestic use and poor sanitation.
  • Lack of access to childcare services.

More information

Visit the KKCF website for more details.