Hundreds of Burundians living in Kenya queued at their embassy in Nairobi to obtain travel documents after President William Ruto ordered foreign-owned small businesses to close.
The move has raised fears among foreign traders, particularly Burundians who earn a living through street vending in Nairobi, prompting some to prepare to return home.
Kenya has long attracted migrants from across the East African Community (EAC), whose members enjoy freedom of movement within the regional bloc.
Last week, Ruto gave foreign-owned small businesses until Monday to shut down, saying Kenya “has not built investor confidence for hawkers.”
Clutching large brown envelopes, crowds queued for hours outside the Burundi embassy, while suitcases and plastic bags piled up at the compound.
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“They’ve expelled us like animals,” Pastor Jean-Baptiste Ndayizeye said.
Ndayizeye said two of his neighbours had been attacked and robbed, comparing the situation to xenophobic violence in South Africa.
“What South Africans did to foreigners and what Kenyans are doing is the same thing,” he said, adding that it was unfair they had received no warning.
Another Burundian, Eric Bizimana, who arrived in Kenya in 2022 after years of unemployment at home, said he had never applied for a work permit because of the high cost.
“They’re so sad” to be leaving Kenya, said Philemon Jaika Adamba, a Kenyan motorcycle taxi driver who had driven two Burundians to the embassy. “It’s not fair.”
‘Misunderstood’
Burundi, a country of about 15 million people is a member of the EAC alongside Kenya, the region’s economic powerhouse.
Burundi’s Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana condemned the reported violence against foreigners, particularly Burundians.
“The Kenya government is responsible for the lives of Burundians living in Kenya,”.
“Letting Kenyan civilians do the work of the police gives the impression of a failed state because it gives free rein to violence, to looting, and to xenophobia,” he said.
Kenya’s junior Foreign Minister Korir Sing’Oei visited the embassy later on Monday, apologised to Burundians and assured them that police would protect areas where violence had been reported.
Sing’Oei said the president’s remarks had been “misunderstood”.
“Because of this lack of understanding, many have been attacked by their neighbours and their friends,” he said.
“Our main aim is to know how you are living, where you are, that you have identification, and that your jobs are registered,” he added.
Government spokesperson Charles Owino said authorities had opened a “formal documentation and registration window” and called on Burundians to present their paperwork at their embassy.
“The government recognises that due to historical circumstances and regional dynamics, a number of East African nationals, including several Burundians, reside and operate in Kenya without full documentation,” Owino said.
AFP/Africanews
