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8h ago

Kenya Opens 90-Day Amnesty for Undocumented Foreign Traders

The government says the window will let undocumented traders obtain permits with strict enforcement to follow afterward.

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A woman makes a phone call while sitting with her child outside the Embassy of the Republic of Burundi, in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Burundi nationals stand outside their country's embassy as they seek travel documents to return to Burundi after Kenyan President William Ruto ordered a crackdown on small-scale traders from abroad, in Nairobi, Kenya, September 7, 2026. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi
Burundian nationals wait outside the Embassy of the Republic of Burundi to obtain documents, in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Overview

  • President William Ruto ordered restrictions on foreigners doing hawking and small-scale retail during a speech on September 2, directing authorities to begin shutting down such businesses.
  • The directive triggered panic among migrant communities and prompted hundreds of Burundians to queue at their Nairobi embassy to seek travel papers on Monday.
  • On Tuesday the presidency announced a 90-day orderly regularisation exercise for undocumented foreign nationals to obtain work permits and business licences and warned that enforcement operations will resume after the window.
  • Authorities have moved to protect migrants and to punish harassment, with the junior foreign minister apologising at the Burundian embassy and police arresting suspects accused of extortion and hate speech on September 8–9.
  • The episode highlights legal and regional limits to any blanket expulsions because East African Community rules and Kenyan law govern work rights, and officials say visa-free entry does not replace required permits.