Kenya launches platform to coordinate migration issues

Kenya said on Wednesday that it has launched a government-led inter-agency coordination platform that will be in charge of migration issues in the East African nation.

Director of Immigration Services, Gordon Kihalangwa said the National Migration Coordination Mechanism (NCM) provides a platform for stakeholders to enhance the understanding of migration realities and address the twin problem of duplication and wastage of resources.

"The inception of NCM comes at a right time, when Kenya and countries in the region are grappling with similar migration challenges," Kihalangwa told a workshop that brought together high level government officials in Naivasha in northwest Kenya.

The body is tasked with facilitating inter-agency coordination, collaboration and information-sharing on migration concerns at the national level.

NCM brings relevant government ministries, departments and non-state actors to a common platform.

Kihalangwa said the body was conceived from the findings and recommendations of a joint assessment by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2014.

He said the body also draws from the Migration Profile for Kenya, drafted by IOM and launched by the government in 2015.

In July 2012, IGAD member states adopted a Regional Policy Framework (RMPF) to address the migration dynamics in the East and Horn Africa region.

To support the implementation of the RMPF at the national level, IGAD and IOM are supporting the establishment and strengthening national platforms and mechanisms for cooperation on migration.

NCM will now be domiciled at the Department of Immigration Services, within the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. Endit