Kenya: Burundians Queue for Documents Amid Uncertainty Over Kenya Foreign-Trader Crackdown

What the report says

Hundreds of Burundian nationals in Nairobi have been seeking documents at the Burundian Embassy and nearby cyber cafés as uncertainty grows over Kenya’s planned crackdown on foreign traders, according to Capital FM, distributed by AllAfrica. The activity was reported along Dennis Pritt Road, where long queues formed as people tried to update passports, permits and other paperwork needed to stay and work legally in Kenya.

The scramble follows President William Ruto’s recent remarks that foreigners would not be allowed to take part in certain businesses, particularly small-scale retail and hawking. He directed officials to move against illegal traders and said Parliament was considering legislation that could limit some business categories to Kenyans. Those comments prompted anxiety among some foreign nationals and broader debate about how the policy will be applied.

Kenyan authorities have since tried to narrow the interpretation of the president’s remarks. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said legal foreign residents and workers remain protected if they have the proper permits and licences. The Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry also said visa-free entry does not automatically allow foreign nationals to work or run businesses, and that immigration and licensing rules still apply.

The episode highlights the tension between efforts to protect local traders and the role of foreign nationals in Kenya’s informal economy. It also underscores how regulatory uncertainty can quickly affect daily life for migrants, including Burundians who have built livelihoods in Nairobi and other parts of the country.