Kenyan authorities launched an investigation on Saturday following violent protests at the Dadaab refugee complex. The unrest erupted during the morning at the Hagadera camp in Garissa County, which sits in northeastern Kenya near the Somali border.
,The Department of Refugee Services stated that protesters damaged agency offices and stole government equipment. Demonstrators also broke into nearby businesses during confrontations with security personnel as crowds hurled stones at officers, forcing several local shops to shut down.
,The violence began after refugee youths opposed plans to construct a modern market on an open field. The infrastructure project aimed to benefit both refugees and the local host community, according to the refugee department.
,"The office and other infrastructure were built to serve everyone in Hagadera, refugees and host community alike," the department said in an official statement.
,Officials warned that the destruction would severely impact public services in the area. "Its destruction harms the very people it was meant to serve, disrupts essential services and threatens the peaceful coexistence that communities in the area have worked hard to build," the department added.
,Mahat Mowlid, a community representative, alleged that outside business interests opposed to the market project may have instigated the unrest. He claimed this occurred despite prior consultations held with leaders from both the refugee population and the host community.
,The Dadaab complex houses more than 438,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, according to figures from the United Nations refugee agency. Nearly 97 percent of the camp population originates from Somalia, and the UN agency reported that Hagadera camp alone accommodates over 145,000 refugees and asylum-seekers.
,Established in 1991, Dadaab was originally created to shelter people escaping the civil war in Somalia. The site has expanded over the decades into one of the largest refugee complexes globally, housing multiple generations of Somali families.
,Government authorities called for calm and urged residents to pursue dialogue. Officials warned that assaults on public facilities threaten critical aid delivery for both refugees and surrounding Kenyan communities.
,Police confirmed that inquiries are ongoing to identify the instigators, retrieve stolen equipment, and secure the area against further disturbances.
