Hundreds of Burundians in Kenya are scrambling to process travel documents to leave the country ahead of the crackdown on unlicensed small businesses run by migrants.
Kenyan President William Ruto set Monday as the deadline for foreigners operating small-scale businesses to cease work, after the trade ministry said some exploited visa rules to work without the required permits.
Long queues were seen outside Burundi’s embassy in the capital Nairobi after it said it would offer free emergency travel documents to citizens who want to go back home. Others are racing to buy bus tickets.
Kenya hosts hundreds of thousands of migrants from across East Africa seeking work and business opportunities.
Kenya’s trade ministry said there had been “deliberate misuse of visa applications by some visitors”, who arrived as investors or tourists but got involved in business activities that breached their declared status.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, there are around 16,000 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya.
It is unclear how many are involved in small-scale trading or how many would be affected by the crackdown.
Burundians have been seen carrying all their belongings – from suitcases to mattresses – as they try to leave ahead of the crackdown, but some of them said they could not afford the cost of travel and urged the Kenyan government to extend the deadline.
Ruto’s directive follows a similar crackdown in Tanzania last year and rising anti‑migrant sentiment in South Africa.
Burundi’s Foreign Affairs Minister Edouard Bizimana said in a post on X that “Kenyans in Burundi were living peacefully but if the hate speech against Burundi continues things will certainty change”.
“Kenya government is responsible for the lives of Burundians living in Kenya,” he added.
His comments came after Ruto last week said that while Kenya remained open to foreign investment, it could not be “that a person comes from China or elsewhere to be a hawker or open a small shop”.
He argued that investors should create jobs and expand production rather than compete with Kenyans in small businesses.
Ruto’s comments sparked mixed reactions, with some critics describing them as a populist move that risked stoking xenophobia. Government officials deny the allegation.
Some foreign nationals say they fear for their safety, while police have warned Kenyans against targeting them.
Bizimana’s post followed an urgent meeting he held with representatives of the East African Community (EAC), an eight-member bloc which promotes economic integration in the region.
Both Kenya and Burundi are part of the group. Kenyan representatives attended the meeting called by Bizimana in Burundi.
Bizimana said he had asked the Kenyan ambassador to convey to his government Burundi’s concerns and to ensure that no Burundian was subjected to abuse.
On Sunday, a top official in Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry said foreigners, with the required documentation, including “work permits and licences”, could continue their activities.
“Burundian nationals and all East Africans – and Africans for that matter – are free to live in Kenya as long as they conduct their businesses or work according to the requirements of our laws, Permanent Secretary Korir Sing’oei said.
The government’s clarification, however, did little to ease concerns among some foreign traders.
Alexis Ntinanirwa, the head of the Association of Burundians living in Kenya, told the BBC Great Lakes service that he was unhappy with Ruto’s decision, but was urging Burundians to remain patient.
He warned that the issue could have wider regional consequences because Kenyans are also involved in small-scale businesses in other East African countries.
“This issue is not only going to cause problems for Burundians working in Kenya, but it is also going to cause problems in the region because there are also Kenyans doing these small jobs in our countries in Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda.”
Ntinanirwa advised Burundians involved in hawking and other small businesses to avoid confrontation with police.
