EUTF – through the Better Migration Management programme – launches Kenya Institute of Migration Studies and post-graduation for migration officers from all IGAD member s

The Government of Kenya and the European Union officially launched the Kenya Institute of Migration Studies (KIMS) together with representatives from GIZ, IOM, European and Regional embassies at the University of Nairobi on 11 December 2018.

The KIMS is the regional centre of excellence for migration studies, affiliated with the Department of Immigration Services and hosted by the University of Nairobi. The Institute will be open to train migration practitioners from all IGAD member states (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda). KIMS will combine academic excellence with valuable practical skills to better equip regional practitioners to manage the many-faced challenges of migration management in the 21st century.

The Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang’I said that "various kinds of mobility, regular or irregular, impact on political, economic and social aspects of all countries. As Kenya strives to formulate policies to manage global migration, there is a commensurate need for an all-inclusive migration management and governance syllabus in place to train practitioners on migration issues".

The post-graduate diploma course is a prestigious flagship course and will be taught by governmental migration practitioners, international experts from the University of Nairobi and the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance. The course combines practical hands-on skills with academic expertise in an intense academic year. The course will analyse contemporary migration patterns, identify its causes and consequences, its risks and challenges and formulate effective policy solutions. It will also benefit from a state-of-the-art document fraud examination laboratory with the support of the Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme.

What makes it special is that it truly is “a demand-driven programme”, Professor Khasakhala from the University of Nairobi explained.

The EU Head of Cooperation, Hubert Peer stated that "the partnership between the Government of Kenya and Maastricht University is a great opportunity to transfer knowledge, tap on global academic best practises and share experiences between the European Union and Kenya."

Background

Both, the KIMS and the post-graduate diploma in migration studies, have been brought about with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and International Organization for Migration (IOM) under the Better Migration Management Programme (BMM). BMM is financed by the European Union through the EU Trust Fund for Africa and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The overall objective of BMM is to improve national and regional migration management within the Horn of Africa in support of the Khartoum Process.