Kenya’s crackdown on foreign traders sparks fear among migrant communities

Burundian citizens queue outside their embassy in Nairobi to receive travel documents, amid uncertainty following Kenya’s crackdown on small-time undocumented traders.

Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images

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Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images

NAIROBI, Kenya – It’s another busy morning in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements. People rush to work, greeting matatus along the road as vendors prepare for work.

But for foreign citizens who run small businesses here, this is far from business as usual.

Last week, President William Ruto ordered authorities to close small businesses run by foreign traders, saying the job should be left to Kenyans.

The president gave them until this week to comply, sparking fear among migrants.

At Nairobi’s Matatu Terminal, James Mogaka is already seeing the consequences. He runs a hub for the country’s ubiquitous minibus taxis and says many of the vehicles are owned or operated by foreign nationals.

“They didn’t come today. Their cars are not here,” he says.

Mogaka says one of his drivers is too scared to come to work and is worried about his wife, a Burundian national who runs a fruit business.

“The guy is even afraid that people might come and drive his wife away,” he says. “I really don’t know where we’re going.”

The government announcement has raised concerns among migrant communities about the potential impact on their livelihoods and safety.

It also comes amid growing tensions over migration and foreign-owned businesses in parts of Africa – from restrictions on non-citizens running certain businesses in Tanzania to a resurgence of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The concern is palpable in Kenya, where many people affected by this directive have been reluctant to speak to us officially.

The directive has received mixed reactions in Nairobi’s central business district.

Local trader Robert Cyberenge opposes the move. “The President is simply trying to distract our attention from more pressing issues. We have no problem with foreigners running small businesses in Kenya.”

But there is also support for the president’s move. Alumnus Kiprono Kutuni is among those who support him.

“I agree with him. The government is supposed to protect traders and small businesses, but you find that these people who have come from different foreign countries have taken over these businesses and are doing it using cheap labor.”