Kenya gives foreign workers 90 days to regularise status

Kenyan authorities have given foreign workers 90 days to regularise their immigration and business status, in a move to ease concerns triggered by President William Ruto’s recent directive targeting immigrant-owned small businesses.

Kenya, one of East Africa’s leading economies, attracts migrants from across the East African Community, EAC, whose citizens enjoy freedom of movement within the regional bloc.

However, Ruto last week ordered foreigners to stop hawking and operating small shops in the country, giving them until Monday to discontinue such activities.

“We have made efforts to improve the economy, we have not improved investor confidence for hawkers to come to Kenya,” Ruto said in a speech.

The directive was widely interpreted as an attempt to appeal to Kenyan hawkers ahead of next year’s elections. It nevertheless triggered anxiety among foreign workers, particularly Burundians who depend on street vending for their livelihoods in Nairobi.

On Monday, hundreds of Burundians reportedly gathered at their embassy seeking assistance to return home, amid fears that tensions could escalate into xenophobic attacks similar to those recently witnessed in South Africa.

The Kenyan government has since clarified its position, saying the objective was to ensure foreigners doing business had the necessary legal documentation rather than prevent them from working in the country.

Citizens of EAC member states are eligible for free work permits in Kenya, although many foreign workers have yet to complete the required registration process.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the office of the president said the government “will conduct an orderly regularisation exercise” lasting 90 days to ensure migrants obtain the appropriate work permits and business licences.

It warned that once the 90-day period expires, immigration regulations “will be enforced firmly and strictly in accordance with the law.”

Burundi, with a population of about 15 million, is among the world’s poorest countries and is a member of the EAC alongside Kenya.

Reports have emerged that some Burundians were attacked following Ruto’s announcement.

Kenya’s junior foreign minister, Korir Sing’Oei, apologised to Burundian nationals on Monday, saying “many have been attacked by their neighbours and their friends” as a result of a “lack of understanding.”

“Our main aim is to know how you are living, where you are, that you have identification, and that your jobs are registered,” Sing’Oei said.