Kakuma (Kenya) : the lack of cemetery frustrates refugees

SOS Médias Burundi

Kakuma, September 25, 2025 — In the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, overcrowding and a lack of space pose serious challenges for residents, particularly in ensuring dignified conditions for the burial of their deceased. The situation is becoming critical for thousands of refugees, including many Burundians, who are struggling to find a place to bury their loved ones.

The central cemetery in Kakuma camp, located at the edge of Kakuma 3, has been overcrowded for months, leaving many refugees without a place to bury their dead.

“It’s a shame, when the final resting place, a sacred place, should never be lacking!” they exclaim. The most alarming case concerns a Burundian refugee who died last week. His family had to search everywhere for a place to bury him, in vain, and almost resorted to burying him in a gutter.

The camp administration now recommends that families use the Kalobeyei cemetery, an extension of Kakuma located more than 10 km away. This journey is long and costly, often limiting the number of people who can accompany the deceased. “There were five of us, the body transported on a motorcycle. It’s truly unacceptable,” said a local leader who attended the burial, which he described as shameful.

The only remaining resting place currently serves more than 200,000 refugees in the camp, most of whom have been there for more than ten years. According to an elderly Congolese refugee, Kakuma records an average of five deaths per month, making the situation critical.

The camp administration attributes this situation to overcrowding and a lack of space. The refugees are calling on the UNHCR and the Kenyan government to identify additional sites for cemeteries, ensuring human dignity until the final resting place.

Kakuma and its Kalobeyei extension currently host more than 250,000 refugees, including approximately 25,000 Burundians.