Kenya hosting 40,000 Ethiopian refugees fleeing border conflicts

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, while appearing before the Senate Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations on Monday, March 30, 2026. PHOTO | OPCS

The government has confirmed that approximately 40,000 Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya and are currently being hosted in Moyale following escalating tensions in parts of Ethiopia.

Speaking about the ongoing situation, Mudavadi said tensions in Ethiopia had forced thousands of people to flee into Kenya.

"The issue is that from the Ethiopian side, they have been having a little bit of tension over there. So, the problem has caused about 40,000 people to evacuate to Kenya," he said.

"I told him to try and calm the situation in their country so that the refugees return to their homes," he said.

He added that the Ethiopian government had assured Kenya that it was working to restore normalcy.

"They have assured us that they will do their best to return the issues to normalcy and then the people can go back," Mudavadi said.

The displacement follows clashes that erupted in October 2026, amid longstanding disagreements between the Oromia and Somali regional administrations over territorial boundaries and administrative control.

The fighting has displaced thousands of people, with many families seeking shelter in schools, churches and temporary camps, while others have been accommodated by relatives and members of the local community.