President William Ruto told a gathering of small‑scale traders at State House in Nairobi that, from the following week, any foreign trader running a modest shop or street stall must shut down, signalling a new government push to protect Kenyan‑owned enterprises.
Ruto said the move does not mean Kenya is closing its doors to foreign investment, but that investors – including those from China – should focus on job‑creating ventures rather than competing with locals in the informal sector.
He also promised to accelerate a draft bill aimed at restricting foreigners from certain types of trade.
Kenya currently hosts roughly 857,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers, about 14% of whom live in urban areas, and the law allows them to work or run businesses if they obtain the appropriate special permits.
Migrants from neighbouring East African Community states are visible in barber shops, salons, construction sites, motorbike‑taxi services and street vending.
The growing visibility of foreign traders has fuelled occasional friction with Kenyan merchants. In July, a video showing a Kenyan man confronting a Burundian street vendor attracted widespread criticism, prompting Burundi conflict‑prevention expert Fred Ngoga to defend his compatriots and the Kenyan foreign ministry to reassure East African residents.
Ruto’s policy arrives at a time when xenophobic sentiment is rising across the continent, with South Africa also experiencing protests against undocumented migrants.
As Kenya prepares for a presidential election next year, the crackdown is expected to stir further debate about the balance between protecting local livelihoods and upholding the rights of refugees and regional migrants.
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