Strategic Collaboration and Organizational Performance of Kalobeyei Integrated Social and Economic Development Program in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Turkana County, Kenya
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Date
2025-06
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
The Kalobeyei Settlement Program (KISEDP) was established in 2015 through a collaborative effort involving the government of Kenya, the World Bank, the Turkana County government, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This initiative emerged from the long-standing challenge of hosting and supporting refugees for over two decades without significant economic and infrastructural development or progress in refugee self-reliance. The program aimed to enhance refugee self-reliance, improve their livelihoods, and foster greater interaction with the host community to promote social cohesion. Located just 3.5 kilometers from the Kakuma refugee camps in Turkana County, the Kalobeyei Settlement began accepting refugees in 2016 and currently accommodates approximately 38,000 individuals.The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of strategic collaboration on the organizational performance of the Kalobeyei Integrated Social and Economic Development Program in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. Specific objectives included assessing the effects of the legal system and policy, resource mobilization, stakeholder engagements, and community participation on the program's performance. This study was guided by empowerment theory, contingency theory, resource-based view, and social capital theory.A descriptive research design was utilized. The target population comprised UNHCR, the national government through the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), the Turkana County Government, implementing partners representatives, and the nyumba kumi leaders residing in the Kalobeyei Settlement. Census sampling was utilized to select the research participants. The study sample comprised 1 head of the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), 1 county government representative, 14 implementing and operational partners representatives, and 186 Nyumba Kumi Leaders in Kalobeyei, totaling 202 respondents. Data was gathered using structured questionnaires, which were piloted with 20 respondents from Kakuma refugee camp. Content validity was ensured through expert review, and Cronbach's alpha was utilized to measure the research instrument's internal consistency, with all variables achieving reliability coefficients above 0.7. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, along with multiple linear regression to examine relationships between variables.The study achieved a response rate of 86.6%. The findings revealed that strategic collaboration significantly influenced organizational performance, explaining 61.3% of the variance (R² = 0.613). Resource mobilization emerged as the strongest predictor of organizational performance (β = 0.312, p < 0.05), followed by stakeholder engagement (β = 0.298, p < 0.05), legal systems and policies (β = 0.284, p < 0.05), and community participation (β = 0.267, p < 0.05). All components of strategic collaboration showed significant positive relationships with organizational performance. The study found strong agreement among respondents regarding the effectiveness of legal frameworks (mean = 3.92), stakeholder engagement (mean = 4.02), and community participation (mean = 3.88) in enhancing program performance.The study concluded that strategic collaboration is fundamental to enhancing organizational performance in refugee settlement programs. Legal systems and policies provide essential frameworks for effective program implementation, while resource mobilization ensures program sustainability and service delivery quality. Stakeholder engagement and community participation foster program ownership and long-term sustainability. The study recommended that KISEDP management should prioritize diversifying funding sources, strengthening stakeholder engagement mechanisms, and enhancing community participation frameworks.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Business Administration (Strategic Management) of Kenyatta University, June 2025.
Supervisor
1. Dr. Reuben Njuguna