Government Moves to Demystify Migration Through New National Migration Policy

The government is moving to reshape how Kenyans view migration. It wants stronger coexistence between host communities and foreign nationals.

The vehicle for this is Kenya’s first National Migration Policy, now at its final review stage.

Deputy Director of Immigration Services Dorcas Mosoti said the policy will help the country harness migration for economic gain. She spoke on the sidelines of a county stakeholder workshop in Mombasa on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

The workshop drew officials from national and county government, civil society, academia and development partners. They met to review the draft policy and collect public input.

“Migration is a reality that is here to stay, driven by globalization, conflict, and emerging trends such as climate change,” Mosoti said.

Mosoti linked the policy to a county outreach programme that followed an earlier 2023 initiative.

The programme is meant to correct a common perception. Many residents see migrants as competitors for scarce resources, she said.

According to Mosoti, a 26-member Technical Working Group tracks progress on migration governance. She said it brings together national government officials and civil society actors.

The workshop did not independently document the group’s mandate or membership. This is her account, not confirmed fact.

“Through our county outreach program, we aim to sensitize and create awareness within local communities regarding migrants, shifting the focus from perceived resource competition to social cohesion and shared growth,” she said.

Devolution and the National Migration Policy

Mombasa County Secretary and Head of Public Service Jeizan Faruk represented Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir at the workshop.

He told delegates that devolved units sit at the frontline of human mobility. Counties, he said, deliver the services migration affects most directly.

“Migration enriches our society by promoting economic growth, cultural diversity, innovation, and regional integration,” Faruk said.

Faruk noted that Mombasa is Kenya’s premier coastal gateway for trade and tourism. Migration dynamics there touch nearly every county function, he said. National and county government must therefore synchronise their planning.

“However, because migration cuts across vital local sectors including health, education, housing, labor, and urban planning, it must be integrated into County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) to effectively balance resource distribution,” he said.

Security Concerns Alongside Regional Integration

Mosoti said national security considerations remain non-negotiable in cross-border movement. Even so, Kenya still upholds its East African Community Common Market Protocol commitments.

That protocol guarantees free movement of persons among member states.

Security Concerns Alongside Regional Integration

Faruk commended the National Coordination Mechanism on Migration and Germany’s GIZ development agency.

He said they had taken the policy conversation down to county level. Durable migration governance, he added, depends on strong national-county partnerships.

The Mombasa workshop is part of a wider public participation drive. The NCM, Kenya’s inter-agency migration coordination platform established in 2016, coordinates the drive.

It is gathering input from county officials, civil society, academia and local leaders. It runs ahead of the National Migration Policy’s final enactment.