Kenya cracks down on foreign small-scale traders, saying visa-free entry is not a work permit
Kenya’s trade ministry has warned foreign nationals that visa-free entry does not grant them the right to work, as the government moves to shut down unlicensed small businesses run by migrants.
President William Ruto had set a deadline for the enforcement action, though officials have not said how many foreign nationals are involved in small-scale trade or how many could be affected.
The trade ministry said there had been a "deliberate misuse of visa applications by some visitors," adding that some people entered Kenya as investors or tourists and then took part in business activities in breach of their declared status.
"Owing to the high number of foreigners involved in the retail and local trade sectors, there is therefore a need to align their activities and ensure compliance with work permit provisions," Trade Minister Lee Kinyanjui said.
Last week, Ruto said Kenya remained open to foreign investment, but insisted: "It cannot 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.
The plan has drawn mixed reactions. Critics describe the move as populist and say it risks stoking xenophobia; government officials deny the allegation.
The dispute has also taken on a regional dimension. Burundi’s embassy in Kenya said it would offer emergency travel documents to citizens who wanted to return home, and hundreds of people gathered at the mission. Burundi’s foreign minister, Edouard Bizimana, held an urgent meeting with representatives of the East African Community, the eight-member bloc to which both Kenya and Burundi belong.
Bizimana said Kenyans in Burundi had been living peacefully, but warned that continued hate speech against Burundi could change that. Kenya’s government, he added, was responsible for the lives of Burundians living in Kenya.
On Sunday, Kenya’s foreign ministry sought to ease the tension. Korir Sing’oei, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said foreigners who had the required documentation, including work permits, 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," he said.
The clarification has done little to reassure 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 urged patience. He warned that the issue could have wider consequences because Kenyans also operate small 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," he said.
Ntinanirwa advised Burundians involved in hawking and other small-scale trade to avoid confrontation with police while the matter is resolved.
Additional reporting by Akisa Wandera and Prime Ndikumagenge