University of Oxford Research Hub Publishes “Will We Become Kenyans?” by Mulki Mohammed Ali

South Sudanese refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement have expressed resistance to prospects of integration, despite integration often being understood as a more desirable alternative to prolonged encampment with limited opportunities for return or resettlement. In this working paper, Mulki Mohamed Ali examines refugees’ concerns about cultural erosion by analysing how cultural change unfolds in displacement through both organic and structural factors, and how this has produced a generational divide in understanding and practice of cultural identity. The paper recommends that UNHCR and humanitarian organisations strengthen support for cultural activities, and that the Government of Kenya involve refugees more directly in the design and communication of integration policy.

Originally from Somalia, Mulki Mohamed Ali lives in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Mulki is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bard College Global Degree. She has previously published research that explored the concept of agency in refugee livelihoods and how refugees create meaningful lives for themselves with the Rift Valley Institute (RVI). She is also a founder of the Photofilm for Change Initiative, through which she has contributed to documentaries in Kakuma about topics such as incentive workers and humanitarian interpreters. You can reach her at [email protected].

The Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH) is an initiative of the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) at the University of Oxford. 
 

Post Date: 06-25-2026