Ruto's order to close foreign-run small businesses takes effect; Burundians in Kenya flock to Nairobi embassy to queue for departure

According to Africanews, hundreds of Burundians living in Kenya on Monday flocked to the Burundian embassy in Nairobi, queuing for hours to process travel documents in preparation for leaving this East African neighbor where they had made their living. The trigger for this departure wave was an order issued last week by Kenyan President William Ruto, who, citing the reason that "investor confidence has not yet been built for street vendors," directed that small businesses operated by foreigners must close by Monday.

Footage from the scene shows crowds holding large brown envelopes lined up in long queues outside the embassy, with suitcases and plastic bags piled up in the courtyard. Burundian pastor Jean-Baptiste Ndaitze, in an interview with Agence France-Presse, said: "They have expelled us like animals." He claimed two of his neighbors were attacked and robbed, and drew a parallel between the current situation and the xenophobic violence that had previously occurred in South Africa: "What South Africans did to foreigners, and what Kenyans are now doing, is the same thing." AFP said it could not independently verify these claims.

Kenya has long attracted immigrants from member states of the East African Community (EAC), a regional organization that grants citizens of member states the right to free movement of people. Burundi, an EAC member with a population of about 15 million, is one of the poorest countries in the world; Kenya, by contrast, is the region's recognized economic engine. Under the framework of regional integration, Burundians legally enter Kenya to make a living, but Ruto's closure order has left many Burundians who depend on street vending with no means of subsistence.

Another Burundian, Eric Bizimana, who came to Nairobi in 2022 after years of unemployment at home, said the high costs had led him to abandon efforts to apply for a work permit. A Kenyan motorcycle driver who took two Burundians to the embassy, Philimon Jaika Adamba, said: "They left very sad. This is not fair."

Neighboring country pressure and a statement of being "misunderstood"

Burundian Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana posted on the social platform X, condemning "violence against foreigners, especially Burundians," and stated explicitly: "The Kenyan government bears responsibility for the safety of the lives of Burundians living in Kenya." He further warned: "Letting Kenyan civilians do the work of the police gives the impression of a failed state, because it amounts to letting loose violence, robbery and xenophobic sentiment."

Faced with pressure from the neighboring country, Kenyan Deputy Foreign Minister Korir Sing'oei went to the embassy on Monday to apologize to the Burundians and characterized the president's remarks as having been "misunderstood." He said: "Because of this divergence in understanding, many people have been attacked by neighbors and friends." Sing'oei promised that police would protect areas where violence had been reported, while stressing that the government's goal was "to understand your living conditions, where you are located, whether you hold identity documents, and whether your work is registered."

Kenyan government spokesperson Charles Owino said the authorities had opened a "formal document registration window" and called on Burundians to go to the embassy to submit relevant materials. He acknowledged: "The government recognizes that, due to historical reasons and regional dynamics, citizens of several East African countries, including a number of Burundians, reside and operate in Kenya without complete documentation."

However, it remains unclear which industries and which nationalities Ruto's closure order actually targets. Among this wave of departures, Burundian immigrants who depend on street vending for their livelihood have been the most directly affected; but as to the scale and systematic nature of violent attacks on Burundians, there are at present only individual accounts, with no official statistics.