Kenya Gives Foreign Workers 90 Days to Regularise Status After Ruto’s Small Business Order

Kenya has given foreign workers 90 days to regularise their immigration and business status after President William Ruto’s directive targeting undocumented immigrant-owned small businesses sparked panic among foreign traders, particularly Burundian nationals.

The government’s move followed widespread concerns after Ruto last week ordered foreigners to stop operating as hawkers or running small shops in the country, giving them until Monday to cease such activities.

“We have made efforts to improve the economy, we have not improved investor confidence for hawkers to come to Kenya,” Ruto said in a speech.

The directive was widely interpreted as an attempt to appeal to Kenyan hawkers ahead of next year’s elections, but it also generated anxiety among thousands of foreign nationals who earn their livelihoods through small-scale trading.

Burundian traders were particularly affected, with hundreds reportedly gathering at their embassy in Nairobi on Monday to seek assistance and information on returning home.

The development also raised fears of a repeat of xenophobic attacks experienced by foreign nationals in South Africa in recent months. There have been reports that some Burundians in Kenya were attacked following the president’s directive.

The Kenyan government has now sought to clarify the policy, saying its intention was to ensure that foreigners operating businesses in the country were legally registered and had the required permits and licences.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the office of the president said the government would conduct an “orderly regularisation exercise” over the next 90 days to ensure that migrants possessed the appropriate work permits and business licences.

It warned that after the 90-day period, immigration regulations would be “enforced firmly and strictly in accordance with the law”.

Citizens of East African Community (EAC) member states are entitled to free work permits in Kenya, but many foreign workers have reportedly not completed the required registration process.

Burundi, with a population of about 15 million people, is an EAC member alongside Kenya and other countries in the regional bloc, which allows citizens certain rights of movement and employment across member states.

Kenya’s junior Foreign Minister, Korir Sing’Oei, apologised to Burundian nationals on Monday over the situation, acknowledging that some had reportedly faced attacks following the president’s announcement.

“Many have been attacked by their neighbours and their friends” due to a “lack of understanding”, Sing’Oei said.

He explained that the government’s primary objective was to establish the identities and status of foreign workers and ensure that their businesses were properly registered.

“Our main aim is to know how you are living, where you are, that you have identification, and that your jobs are registered,” he said.

The 90-day regularisation period is expected to give affected foreign workers time to complete the necessary documentation before the government begins strict enforcement of the relevant immigration and business regulations.