Burundians queue at the Embassy of Burundi Chancery in Nairobi on September 7, 2026 to regularise their documents.

📋 Breaking It Down

Hundreds of foreign traders were on Monday thrown into panic and uncertainty after President William Ruto last week ordered a crackdown on those engaging in small-scale trade.

The directive, issued on September 2 during a meeting with Kenyan small-scale traders, triggered a rush for travel documents, the closure of some businesses and reports of threats and harassment in parts of the country.

At the heart of the confusion is what foreigners say they understood as an order to leave, and the government’s subsequent clarification that the crackdown is aimed at those operating in violation of immigration, work permit and other regulatory requirements.

📌 What You Need to Know

Across the country, there were reports of foreigners keeping away from their businesses, abandoning their homes and, in some areas, facing harassment and theft.

Read: Kenya to register Burundians, EAC nationals without valid documents

The government insisted that the crackdown is not a blanket order for foreigners to leave Kenya. Officials said the target is those operating businesses without the required work permits, licences or immigration status.

In Nairobi, anxious Burundians queued for hours outside their embassy, some seeking emergency travel documents to return home while others sought help to regularise their stay.

Burundians queue at the Embassy of Burundi Chancery in Nairobi on September 7, 2026 to regularise their documents.

Some of the Burundians said they were preparing to return home because they no longer felt safe in Kenya. Long queues stretched outside the country’s mission as anxious traders sought clarity on their status.

📰 Source: Nation Africa