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INTRODUCTION
To facilitate humanitarian cash programming, the Kenya Cash Working Group (KCWG) in collaboration with local and international NGOs, conduct a quarterly Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI) in the Refugee camps. This JMMI assesses the availability and prices of essential commodities typically sold in markets and consumed by the average household. As of 31st March 2025, Kenya hosted 843,165 registered refugees and asylum-seekers, up by 19,233 from December 2024.5 Of these, 428,016 (51%) were in the Dadaab refugee camp, 303,247 (36%) in the Kakuma refugee camp and the remaining 13% were refugees living in urban areas.5 The data collection for Q1 2025 was conducted from 10th to 17th April 2025. This factsheet presents an overview of key foods and nonfood items’ (NFIs) prices and cost of the Refugee Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) 1 in the assessed camps. Additionally, it evaluates the supply chains along with the vendors’ perceptions of the marketplace and market functionality
KEY FINDINGS
• Despite the slight decrease in the cost of Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB)1 in Dadaab compared to the previous quarter3 , it remained consistently higher than in Kakuma since December 2023.
• The main challenge reported among the vendors was restocking. More than half of the vendors in Kakuma (64%) and 43% in Dadaab reported experiencing difficulties in keeping their businesses well-stocked.
• Physical access barriers were slightly more prevalent in Kakuma (37%) than in Dadaab (32%), marking an increase compared to the previous quarter3 . This rise is likely attributed to disruptions caused by the March–April– May (MAM) 2025 long rains season in Kenya,4 which caused infrastructure disruptions that hindered movement. However, affordability continues to pose a more significant constraint to market access for households (HHs) than physical accessibility.
• The market situation presented mixed outcomes: of the 13 markets assessed, functionality declined in four (two in Kakuma and two in Dadaab) and improved in three (one in Dadaab and two in Kakuma).These results highlight ongoing challenges and underscore the dynamic and shifting nature of market functionality across the camps.