THE United States pushed Kenya to expand the Dadaab refugee camp in 2011, a flurry of emails published by the State Department has shown.
The emails, published on Wednesday, say the US persuaded the government to open the Ifo 2 Camp, after the refugee complex became overstretched.
It was hosting nearly half-a-million more than the intended 90,000 refugees.
In 2011, Kenya saw the highest influx of refugees following a devastating drought in Somalia.
Kenya strongly opposed the expansion of the camp, saying it will promote insecurity, and closed the border with Somalia.
In the email, Reuben Brigety, then assistant secretary of state, said he discussed the plight of refugees with Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Internal security minister George Saitoti after Kenya rejected plans to open a new camp.
At the peak of the crises, Raila and Saitoti travelled to the camps with US officials, including Brigety.
Saitoti reportedly opposed expansion of Daadab, saying al Shabaab could enter Kenya under the guise of refugees.
In a July 15, 2011, letter to Washington, Brigety said that after the tour, Raila agreed to open the Ifo ll camp, something the international community has requested for at least two years.
Brigety is now the US envoy to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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