Kenyan authorities moved on Monday to calm rising fear among foreign nationals after a directive targeting foreign-run small businesses triggered a rush of Burundian citizens to their country’s embassy in Nairobi seeking emergency travel papers.
The unrest traces back to a call President William Ruto made last week for officials to shut down small businesses run by non-Kenyans lacking proper work permits, a measure he introduced following talks with local traders who had staged protests over recent tax changes. Once the order was set to take effect Monday, it set off alarm among migrant communities, with several Burundians reporting that neighbors had threatened them in the days following Ruto’s comments. Kenya’s trade ministry clarified the order applies specifically to foreign nationals operating without valid permits.
With no visible enforcement action actually taking place in the capital, a spokesperson for Ruto’s government sought to defuse the tension, stating firmly that the administration would tolerate no harassment, intimidation or xenophobic behavior toward foreigners. Officials instead encouraged undocumented citizens from Burundi and other East African nations to come forward and formally register with their respective embassies. Under the terms announced, anyone completing registration during this window would be treated as lawfully present in Kenya for its duration, a measure framed as a way to bring people out of hiding and into a documented process.
Neither Burundi’s ambassador to Kenya nor the country’s foreign affairs minister responded to requests for comment on the situation.
The episode adds to mounting criticism that Ruto, who faces reelection next year, has increasingly pointed to foreign residents and businesses as a source of Kenya’s economic troubles. Just days earlier, he directed India’s Tata Chemicals to halt its Kenyan operations, arguing the firm’s presence had produced little benefit for the country — a claim the company responded to by saying it respected the government’s authority and intended to keep engaging constructively.
