Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda

This study reviews the governance of Kampala’s food system and refugee protection approach in order to propose strategies to recognize and protect the food security needs of Kampala’s refugee population more effectively. Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee host, with a policy approach that has been...

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Main Author: Andrea Brown
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of the Western Cape 2025-01-01
Series:African Human Mobility Review
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/2428
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author Andrea Brown
author_facet Andrea Brown
author_sort Andrea Brown
collection DOAJ
description This study reviews the governance of Kampala’s food system and refugee protection approach in order to propose strategies to recognize and protect the food security needs of Kampala’s refugee population more effectively. Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee host, with a policy approach that has been widely lauded for its flexible settlement provisions and commitment to durable solutions. However, growing refugee populations and underfunding have led to serious pressures, severely exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. One unique aspect of Uganda’s refugee governance approach is the allowance of refugee populations to self-settle outside of designated camps in the capital city, Kampala. This research uses a governance lens to explore what is being done to support the food security of this group, by whom, and how this could be improved. The researcher conducted interviews with asylum seekers and refugees living in two of Kampala’s large informal settlements (Kisenyi II and Namuwongo) and with a range of policy stakeholders during May 2023. Multiple levels of government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) offer overlapping formal and informal services and programs accessible to different populations living in settlements. This paper points to gaps and limitations linked to resources, as well as difficulties identifying vulnerable populations, locating political responsibility, coordination, and weak policy implementation, and suggests governance strategies to respond better to refugee and asylum seekers’ food security needs. Key recommended responses are to overhaul the refugee registration system, recognize and protect urban food security, and improve policy actor coordination through collaborative strategies that move beyond awareness of the crisis to setting specific targets and timelines to address it.
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spelling doaj-art-b01484bc226141e5ac75155e4f21171f2025-01-20T22:25:42ZengUniversity of the Western CapeAfrican Human Mobility Review2411-69552410-79722025-01-0110310.14426/ahmr.v10i3.2428Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, UgandaAndrea Brown0Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada This study reviews the governance of Kampala’s food system and refugee protection approach in order to propose strategies to recognize and protect the food security needs of Kampala’s refugee population more effectively. Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee host, with a policy approach that has been widely lauded for its flexible settlement provisions and commitment to durable solutions. However, growing refugee populations and underfunding have led to serious pressures, severely exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. One unique aspect of Uganda’s refugee governance approach is the allowance of refugee populations to self-settle outside of designated camps in the capital city, Kampala. This research uses a governance lens to explore what is being done to support the food security of this group, by whom, and how this could be improved. The researcher conducted interviews with asylum seekers and refugees living in two of Kampala’s large informal settlements (Kisenyi II and Namuwongo) and with a range of policy stakeholders during May 2023. Multiple levels of government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) offer overlapping formal and informal services and programs accessible to different populations living in settlements. This paper points to gaps and limitations linked to resources, as well as difficulties identifying vulnerable populations, locating political responsibility, coordination, and weak policy implementation, and suggests governance strategies to respond better to refugee and asylum seekers’ food security needs. Key recommended responses are to overhaul the refugee registration system, recognize and protect urban food security, and improve policy actor coordination through collaborative strategies that move beyond awareness of the crisis to setting specific targets and timelines to address it. http://www.epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/2428refugees, urban food security, self-settlement, Kampala, Uganda
spellingShingle Andrea Brown
Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda
African Human Mobility Review
refugees, urban food security, self-settlement, Kampala, Uganda
title Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda
title_full Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda
title_fullStr Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda
title_full_unstemmed Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda
title_short Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda
title_sort refugee protection and food security in kampala uganda
topic refugees, urban food security, self-settlement, Kampala, Uganda
url http://www.epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/2428
work_keys_str_mv AT andreabrown refugeeprotectionandfoodsecurityinkampalauganda