The Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund

The Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF) is IFC’s first refugee and host community focused program in sub-Saharan Africa.
It enables private investment with the goal of unlocking the economic potential of refugees and their hosts in the
Kakuma Kalobeyei refugee-hosting area in Kenya’s Turkana County.

KKCF is a program of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), implemented with
the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), Turkana County Government, and UNHCR.

Our Objectives

The Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund aims to enable better economic integration and self-reliance of displaced populations and their host community.

The initiative’s overarching objectives are to: 

  • Attract new private businesses and social enterprises to the Kakuma-Kalobeyei area, which should lead to better employment opportunities for refugees and the host community, increase access to goods and services, and potentially reduce prices;
  • Provide opportunities to scale-up the operations of private companies and social enterprises already present in the area;
  • Develop and grow refugee and host community-owned businesses and create opportunities for women and youth;
  • Reduce the time and cost of obtaining specific business permits, licenses, and registrations in Turkana West by streamlining procedures..

Core Components

Competitive Business Challenge

Local Enterprise Development Window

Closed for Applications Local Enterprise Development (LED) Window targets local small and medium sized enterprises in Turkana County currently operating in the Kakuma Kalobeyei area or those that would like to expand to this area. Through the LED window businesses can access grants of between Ksh 1.5 Million and Ksh 5 Million as well as […]

Social Enterprise Window

KKCF Social Enterprise Window (SEW) targets social enterprises currently present in Kakuma and those willing to set up businesses in Kakuma and Kalobeyei areas. Social enterprises can ease pressure on the overstretched humanitarian system and compliment people’s willingness to pay for education, for example, by engaging Kenyan and regional low-cost private school providers. We will also target […]

Private Sector Window

Private Sector Window (PSW) targets companies currently present in Kakuma and those willing to set up businesses in Kakuma and Kalobeyei areas. The Private Sector Window will support established companies in implementing commercially viable and sustainable businesses that have the potential to raise incomes, provide goods and services, create jobs and/or improve living standards in […]