Overview
- President William Ruto ordered authorities to begin shutting down small retail shops and hawking run by foreign nationals, a directive set to take effect on Monday, Sept. 7 and tied to the Local Content Bill under fast‑track in Parliament.
- Hundreds of Burundians rushed to their Nairobi embassy seeking travel papers after the announcement, with many reporting threats, harassment and a sudden fear of eviction from informal businesses.
- Senior officials moved to calm the situation by saying legally documented foreigners remain protected, with Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei saying the president's remarks were taken out of context.
- The government and the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry said enforcement will focus on people operating without work permits, and Nairobi opened a temporary registration and presumed‑presence amnesty to let undocumented East African migrants regularize status.
- The measures raise immediate human risks for migrants, press regional free‑movement commitments and pose possible costs to investor confidence as a separate dispute with Tata Chemicals over mining operations continues.