This article reports the results of a survey that the author conducted on procedures used by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”) to assess applications for asylum in Kenya. It focuses on some core challenges facing the regime. The article is divided into six sections. In the first, the procedures for seeking asylum are outlined. The second and third sections discuss issues relating to the financial situation of the UNHCR and, hence, its ability to process claims. The next section evaluates the contents of the letter that communicates an asylum decision and the extent to which it facilitates appeals. Questions regarding the removal of rejected claimants are examined in the penultimate section. In conclusion, the final section recommends that Kenya's refugee determination scheme needs to aim at realizing the standards set by UNHCR and international refugee and human rights laws. It also suggests that more efforts should be made at addressing the factors which produce refugees.