Hundreds of Burundians in Kenya are seeking travel documents to return home after President William Ruto ordered a crackdown on foreign small-scale traders. Many fear threats and economic hardship following the directive.
The crackdown on foreign traders highlights potential economic and political pressures in Kenya, with critics suggesting it could be a tactic to deflect from domestic economic issues ahead of elections. It also impacts the livelihoods of foreign nationals residing and working in the country.
Hundreds of Burundians gathered at their embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, seeking travel documents to return to Burundi following President William Ruto's directive to crack down on foreign small-scale traders. The order, which began on Monday, targets foreigners operating without work permits.
Crowds of mostly young men queued outside the embassy, with some expressing that they were forced to leave. Peter Nakumujango, 62, stated, "I am not going home by choice. I have been forced to go." Others, like 18-year-old Munezero Farnke, who has lived in Kenya for three years, requested more time or assistance to return home.
While no immediate signs of a crackdown were visible on Monday, some Burundians reported receiving threats from neighbors since Ruto's remarks. The United Nations refugee agency estimates there are about 16,000 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya, many of whom operate small businesses.
Ruto's critics have accused him of scapegoating foreigners for Kenya's economic difficulties, particularly with an election approaching where he seeks a second term. Activist Hanifa Adan commented in the Daily Nation newspaper, "When a state runs out of answers for a collapsing economy, it invariably goes looking for an enemy." In a separate but related move last Thursday, Ruto also ordered India's Tata Chemicals to cease operations in Kenya, citing a lack of benefit to the country, though the company stated its commitment to constructive engagement.