The newly appointed German Ambassador for Migration Cooperation to Kenya, Dr. Ludwig Jung, today paid a courtesy call on Principal Secretary, Dr. Belio Kipsang. The visit served to formally introduce himself and reaffirm areas of continued collaboration between Kenya and Germany on migration governance, labour mobility and refugee integration under the Shirika Plan framework.
Kenya’s progressive approach to refugee and host community integration was a key highlight of the engagement. The Principal Secretary underscored inclusive measures that provide refugees and host communities with access to health care, education, livelihoods, and social protection programmes designed to foster peaceful coexistence and shared socio‑economic development. He further emphasized ongoing Shirika Plan initiatives, notably the issuance of Refugee identity documentation, which enables access to mobile connectivity, financial services, and other socio‑economic opportunities in collaboration with UNHCR and other partners.
The meeting further underscored the growing Kenya‑Germany cooperation in labour mobility. Ambassador Jung noted that more than 16,000 Kenyans are currently contributing positively to the German labour market, and reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of Kenyan workers abroad while promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration pathways.
Dr. Kipsang expressed appreciation for Germany’s continued support in technical education, labour migration programmes, and knowledge‑transfer initiatives, including collaborations with local training institutions. He noted that Kenya’s priorities now extend to strengthening border management for secure and efficient movement, advancing biometric systems to improve identity verification, and addressing identity fraud to safeguard both citizens and migrants. He emphasized that building institutional capacity remains central to sustaining reforms and delivering on the objectives of the Shirika Plan.
Both parties acknowledged the widening humanitarian financing gaps affecting refugee support programmes and stressed the importance of global responsibility‑sharing and sustainable investment for the successful implementation of the Shirika Plan. Environmental sustainability also featured prominently, with discussions highlighting clean‑energy solutions such as solar‑powered initiatives benefiting both refugees and host communities.
Ambassador Jung commended Kenya’s leadership in refugee protection, regional stability, and peaceful coexistence, and reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to deepening collaboration and advancing the objectives of the Shirika Plan. The engagement was also attended by the Director General for Immigration Services, Ms. Evelyn Cheluget, togetherwith members of the Ambassador’s delegation, underscoring the shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.