Date of Conferral

9-3-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Marcel Kitissou

Abstract

Access to health care is a fundamental right of every refugee, yet gaps in implementing Kenya's Refugees Acts of 2006 and 2021 continue to limit access for Somali refugees in Dadaab camp. Existing research has documented resource constraints, movement restrictions, and other barriers to refugee health care, but how policy implementation gaps shape access in Dadaab has not been well explored. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand barriers to health care access for Somali refugees resulting from gaps in implementing Kenya's refugee health policies. The narrative policy framework guided the study. Data from semistructured interviews with 14 participants, including nine Somali refugees and five Kenyan Ministry of Health officials, were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12 for coding and organization. Three themes addressed RQ1: under-resourced services and access logistics constrained care; documentation, movement, and governance restricted entitlements; and social and environmental conditions amplified need and inequity. Two themes addressed RQ2: strengthening service delivery and access systems, and improving policy and enabling conditions. The results indicated that stronger service delivery and clear, accountable implementation of refugee health policies may improve timely and equitable care. Application of the findings may advance positive social change by protecting refugees' right to health and reducing preventable disparities in access.

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