Strengthening protection and coordination for displaced LGBTQI+ communities in Kenya

This 12-month project, beginning in April 2026, aims to strengthen protection and coordination for displaced LGBTQI+ communities in Kenya through the development of a community-led evidence base. Displaced LGBTQI+ individuals in Kenya face acute protection risks and significant barriers to accessing services, while existing humanitarian and government information systems often fail to adequately capture their specific experiences and needs.

MMC in Eastern and Southern Africa will lead the research and capacity-strengthening components in collaboration with 12 to 15 LGBTQI+ refugee-led organisations (RLOs) and community-based organisations (CSOs). Together, they will co-develop a mapping methodology and a joint coordination roadmap to identify service gaps, strengthen referrals, and support evidence-based advocacy.

A central component of the project is the co-creation of an Information Management Strategy (IMS) and a secure Digital Dissemination Platform (DDP), providing a safe and encrypted space for community actors to manage, analyse, and share protection-related information.

The project builds on the work of the LGBTQI+ Steering Committee established by MMC to guide research on displaced sexual and gender minorities (SGM), with the aim of ensuring that the tools, systems, and capacities developed remain under community ownership beyond the life of the project.

See also

Emerging evidence on the lives, experiences and movement intentions of displaced sexual and gender minorities in Kenya