NAIROBI, Sept. 11– Kenya is committed to the regional integration agenda and rejects xenophobia and discriminatory treatment targeting small-scale traders from neighboring countries amid reports of harassment and attacks against them, senior officials said Thursday.
Musalia Mudavadi, prime cabinet secretary and cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs, said that Nairobi welcomes commercial activities by foreign nationals provided they comply with local regulations.
The clarification came as dozens of Burundian traders gathered at their embassy in Nairobi to regularize their immigration status or prepare to leave the country following President William Ruto’s Sept. 2 order restricting foreign participation in small-scale businesses.
The presidential directive triggered widespread anxiety among foreign nationals, particularly Burundian migrants and residents from Central and East Africa, who work as street-vended merchandise sellers, small retailers, hoteliers, construction workers, and agricultural laborers.
The government clarified that it does not intend to expel foreign small-scale traders, and asked non-citizens to formalize their immigration status, register their businesses, and comply with national tax regulations.
Reiterating Kenya’s commitment to mutual respect, shared values, and human dignity, Mudavadi said that the presidential directive aims to protect vulnerable economic sectors, promote fair market competition, and safeguard local livelihoods rather than drive out traders from neighboring countries.
“Kenya is not implementing a blanket ban on foreign nationals engaging in small-scale businesses but is seeking to ensure that their participation is consistent with the East African Community Common Market Protocol and applicable national law,” Mudavadi told foreign diplomats in Nairobi.
He outlined Kenya’s stance on key issues including its commitment to regional integration, multilateralism, preparations for the 2027 general elections, economic performance, and responses to emerging challenges such as health threats and seasonal El Nino rainfall.
“We continue to advance regional integration and continental unity by facilitating the free movement of people, capital, goods and services in accordance with applicable legal frameworks,” said Mudavadi.
Kenya has for decades served as a haven for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing conflict, economic distress, and climate shocks across the region, noted Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, principal secretary at the State Department for Foreign Affairs.
Sing’Oei reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting the lives, property, and livelihoods of all citizens from East African Community member states residing in Kenya. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
