Refugee livelihoods: a comparative analysis of Nairobi and Kakuma Camp in Kenya

The quantity of literature on the livelihoods of refugees is increasing, yet there is a lack of comparative analysis of their strategies in this regard vis-à-vis their host communities and living locations. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in the city of Nairobi and Kakuma Camp in Kenya in 2016-17, this paper narrows the gap by presenting an examination of the economic activities in which refugees in different contexts engage, and highlighting some of the institutional factors that distinguish refugees' economic lives from those of members of the host community. The findings suggest that while some Kenyans are encumbered by challenges comparable to those faced by refugees, the myriad political, legal, and policy factors that characterise refugeehood are nonetheless particular in the ways that they influence livelihoods. By emphasising the multiple actors and aspects that shape refugees' economic strategies, this paper also reveals the political economy within which refugee livelihoods are embedded.