On World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Catholic Church in Kenya has called for renewed commitment to the dignity, protection and rights of refugees, migrants and displaced children, urging society to see every child not as a statistic but as a person deserving care, safety and opportunities to thrive.
Sr. Michelle Njeri, OSF – Vatican City
In a Message of Solidarity to Refugees and Migrants in Kenya issued on 27 September 2026 to mark the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Department for Refugees, Migrants and Seafarers called for a stronger pastoral and humanitarian response to children affected by displacement.
Minors on the move
The message, signed by Bishop Peter Munguti Makau, IMC, the Ordinary of Isiolo Diocese and Bishop Chair of the KCCB Department for Refugees, reflected on this year’s theme, “Even Just One of These Children,” and urged Kenyans to recognise the dignity of every child regardless of their migration status. Drawing from Pope Leo XIV’s message for the World Day, the Church called on communities to listen to the stories, fears and dreams of children on the move and to safeguard their fundamental rights, including the right to life, education and a standard of living that supports their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.
“No child in Dadaab, Kakuma, Kalobeyei, or our urban centres is ever merely a statistic in a report, a burden at a border, or a forgotten casualty of regional conflict,” the message reads. Welcome to minors on the move should go beyond an abstract expression of kindness to a stable pastoral practice centred on protecting, accompanying and loving vulnerable children.
Displacement does not take away dignity
The KCCB department addressed refugees, displaced people and asylum seekers living in Dadaab, Kakuma, Kalobeyei, Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret and other parts of Kenya, assuring them that displacement does not take away their human dignity. Your suffering does not diminish your dignity. Your displacement does not erase your worth,” Bishop Makau said.
The Kenyan Church particularly highlighted the vulnerability of children, recalling Jesus’ words, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them” (Mark 10:14).It urged society to ensure that no child is left “unprotected, unloved, unheard, or unseen.”
Authorities and humanitarian partners
The Catholic Church also called on civil authorities and humanitarian partners to uphold the best interests of the child in responding to migration and displacement. The department urged public and private institutions to strengthen legal protection, support family reunification and address the trauma caused by family separation. It further called for a shift in the national conversation from migration management alone to the full protection of human rights, including welcome and genuine opportunities for integration. The Church also encouraged cooperation among faith communities to strengthen networks of protection for vulnerable children.“In Kenya, this forms fertile ground for genuine interreligious dialogue, where faith communities cooperate to weave networks of protection,” the message said. It urged faith communities to create spaces where children are valued within their cultural identity and protected from exploitation and extremist groups.
