Fear grips foreign traders as Ruto directive triggers closures, threats

Congolese businessman Joseph Eric displays asylum papers allowing him to stay in Kenya. Government Spokesperson Charles Owino addresses the media on immigration matters at Harambee House Annex in Nairobi yesterday. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Tension is rising in parts of Nairobi after foreign nationals operating small businesses reported harassment, threats and pressure to shut their premises following a government directive targeting foreigners engaged in small-scale retail and informal trade.

In Mowlem, Eastlands, at least 20 foreign-owned businesses have reportedly closed, with some owners leaving the area amid fears for their safety.

Among those affected is Joseph Eric, a documented urban refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose business was attacked by a group of young men who attempted to break into the premises.

Eric said the group included youths and boda boda riders who tried to force their way into the business, destroyed security cameras and damaged the door.

He said he was threatened with violence if he did not close his business and leave the country.

“I am an urban refugee and the Kenyan government recognises me as such. I am in Kenya legally and I have all the necessary documents required. My business is licensed and it’s so painful to see such a thing happening to me,” he said.

Eric said he has operated the business for more than 12 years. He is married to a Kenyan and has a child.

He said the threats had forced his family to take precautions, including moving from their home and taking their four-year-old child out of school. “They even threatened to slash my neck if I don’t leave,” he said.

Eric said he came to Kenya after war broke out in his country and established the business to support his family.

“I’m only trying to provide for my family. I haven’t broken any law and I haven’t done wrong to anyone,” he said.

Several businesses remained closed at Mowlem, Nairobi, following President William Ruto’s directive on foreign small-scale traders. Inset: Congolese businessman Joseph Eric displays asylum papers allowing him to stay in Kenya. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

He appealed to President William Ruto to clarify the directive, saying the uncertainty had left foreign nationals vulnerable to people interpreting it as a licence to force them out.

“As the head of State, he should come out clear on what he meant by his statement because he has left us in a very precarious position. Our lives are in danger and I don’t know where to start,” he said.

The concerns come as the government moves to enforce President Ruto’s directive on foreign nationals involved in small-scale businesses.

Foreign nationals affected by the directive have expressed concern over how it is being implemented, with some saying they fear losing businesses they have operated for years and being separated from families established in Kenya.

In Nairobi’s central business district, Abdul Karim, who is of Rwandan origin, opened his hair-shaving business on Monday despite the uncertainty.

Karim, who has worked for a Kenyan employer since arriving in the country in 2022, said he was concerned by videos circulating online showing foreigners being harassed.

“If a fellow human being of the same race can harass me, it is very painful,” he said.

He said the directive had created uncertainty among foreign workers.

“If the President has decided that way, he’s the one leading Kenya. What can we do? But the one who advised him did not think about its effect. We leave it to God,” Karim said.

Residents have also expressed concern over the developments, warning against violence and arbitrary enforcement.

Victoria Onsongo, a resident and business owner in Mowlem, said some foreigners had lived and worked in the area for years.

“We have lived with these people for years. Seeing what is happening is regrettable. There has been high tension in this area and the Government should now intervene and clarify what the foreigners should do. If they are supposed to go back, it should be done the right way,” she said.

Hellen Bosibori, another resident, said some Tanzanian business owners had already left the area and warned that the situation could worsen if the government did not provide clarity.

“If this situation is not stopped early, we’re likely to see more destruction and the tension is rising. The President should come out and set the record straight on this issue. We want peace in our country,” she said.

George Wanjau, a businessman in Mowlem who employs four foreigners from Rwanda and Burundi, said the uncertainty was affecting his business.

“The intelligence I have gathered is that locals are threatening to eject foreigners from their houses, steal property and harm them,” Wanjau said.

He added that some foreign-owned businesses had already been broken into.

“Personally, I have suffered because my employees are not coming to work because they fear being attacked. There are other businesses owned by foreigners that have been broken into. We need an immediate solution to this problem before it escalates because some people are now taking advantage to loot,” he said.

A section of activists have also criticised the implementation of the directive, arguing that targeting small-scale foreign traders would not address Kenya’s unemployment challenges.

In a joint statement, the activists said portraying African migrants as responsible for unemployment amounted to scapegoating.

Muteti Mulinge said the move had created an opportunity for foreigners to be harassed by individuals taking enforcement into their own hands.

James Mulamba questioned the characterisation of the foreign traders as unfair competition.

“Those people are not thieves or assassins. I would have a problem if they were plundering the economy. In fact, they are very kind and respectful,” he said.

The activists said they had recorded incidents in Kibra and Ongata Rongai where foreign nationals were allegedly harassed as Kenyans sought to enforce the directive themselves.

Human rights defender Elisha Alam urged Kenyans not to take action against foreign nationals.

“We want to plead with Kenyans: don’t join a failed administration in sinking the country into xenophobic tendencies. When you chase a Burundian, will a Kenyan driver be allowed to transport goods to Burundi?” he said.

Frederick Ojiro questioned why the directive appeared to affect small-scale traders and workers while other categories of foreign nationals were not similarly affected.

The activists also sought clarification on the relationship between the directive and the Government’s Shirika Plan, launched in March 2025 to transform refugee camps into municipalities and economic zones.

They said they would consider protests if the government did not reconsider its position.

At the Burundi Embassy along Dennis Pritt Road in Nairobi, scores of Burundian nationals gathered on Monday seeking travel documents and assistance amid the uncertainty.

Long queues formed along the road as nationals sought documentation to facilitate their return home.

The Embassy of Burundi announced that it would issue laissez-passer travel documents free of charge to nationals seeking to return home, with the exercise beginning on September 7.

Some of those at the embassy appealed to the Kenyan Government to extend the period they had been given to leave, saying five days was insufficient to wind up businesses, settle debts and make arrangements for their families.

Chivenani Mbona, a Burundian national, appealed to President Ruto for more time.

“We are just asking the president of Kenya to please give us a little time extension for us to source our fare back home,” he said.

Mbona said some members of the Burundian community had also faced attacks and destruction of property.

He said foreign nationals were willing to comply with the government’s directive but wanted to leave without harassment.

“We have not refused to go back home. We will go. We are just asking not to be harassed and given time to leave peacefully,” he said.

For some, leaving Kenya would also mean separating from families and communities they have established during their stay.

Shadrack Maoru, a Burundian who operated a boda boda business in Kenya, said some foreign nationals had married Kenyans and raised children in the country.

“We had established a very good rapport with Kenyans for the period we have been working here. We have married their girls and have children here, but now it is heartbreaking to leave them behind,” he said.

Maoru said he arrived at the embassy at 5 am but was yet to receive assistance when he spoke, as large numbers of nationals sought travel documents.

However, the government has sought to distinguish between enforcing immigration and business regulations and targeting foreign nationals.

Government Spokesperson Charles Owino said the President’s directive was aimed at regulating small-scale retail and informal trade activities within Kenya’s borders, in line with the proposed Local Content Bill, 2025.

“The core intent of these measures is to protect vulnerable sectors of our domestic economy, safeguard local livelihoods, and maintain the integrity of our national identity systems,” Owino said.

He said the government recognised that, because of historical circumstances and regional dynamics, some East African nationals, including Burundians, reside and operate in Kenya without full documentation.

Owino said the government appreciated the contribution of East African nationals to Kenya’s economy and society.

“We recognise and deeply appreciate the rich contributions made by East African nationals, particularly our Burundian brothers and sisters, to Kenya’s trade, culture, and socio-economic fabric,” he said.

The government has announced a formal Documentation and Registration Window for undocumented East African Community nationals, particularly Burundian citizens living in Kenya.

Owino called on those affected to present themselves to their respective high commissions or embassies for formal identity registration.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work with the Embassy of Burundi and other regional partners to manage and regularise the cases.

The government also said that, during the designated registration period, individuals undergoing registration would be presumed legally present in Kenya.

Owino said the arrangement was intended to enable affected foreign nationals to access services and legal protections while their status was regularised.

The Government has further directed security agencies, local authorities and the business community against harassment and discrimination of foreign nationals.

“The Government of Kenya maintains a policy of absolute zero tolerance toward any form of harassment, intimidation, or xenophobia,” Owino said.

He said no documented foreign national or person undergoing registration should be subjected to arbitrary harassment or discrimination.

The Government also said it was strengthening monitoring of migrant safety in urban centres in partnership with civil society networks and humanitarian organisations.

The administration has rejected reports portraying its measures as a blanket ban on foreign nationals.

Kenya’s commitment to the East African Community Common Market Protocol, he said, remained unchanged.

Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has criticised the directive, calling for greater clarity and dialogue in its implementation.

He argued that protecting Kenyan businesses should involve measures addressing challenges such as corruption, taxation and the wider business environment rather than relying solely on restrictions targeting foreign traders.

Musyoka also called for transparency in the processing of affected foreign nationals and urged the government to ensure that enforcement did not deepen tensions between communities or neighbouring countries.