Hundreds of Burundians living in Kenya queued outside their embassy in Nairobi on Monday. They seek travel documents to leave the country after President William Ruto ordered the closure of small businesses operated by foreigners.
Ruto issued the directive last week. It gave foreign-owned small businesses until Monday to shut down. He stated that Kenya has not built investor confidence for hawkers. The move has sparked fear among many Burundians who rely on street vending in Nairobi for their livelihoods.
Crowds carrying large brown envelopes gathered for hours outside the Burundi embassy. They were all prepared to return home.
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“They’ve expelled us like animals,” Pastor Jean-Baptiste Ndayizeye told AFP, comparing the situation to xenophobic violence in South Africa. AFP could not independently verify his claims.
Eric Bizimana, a Burundian who arrived in Kenya in 2022 after years of unemployment at home, said he had never applied for a work permit due to the high cost.
Kenyan motorcycle taxi driver Philemon Jaika Adamba, who had driven two Burundians to the embassy, said: “They’re so sad to be leaving Kenya. It’s not fair.”
Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Burundi’s Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana condemned the “violence against foreigners, particularly Burundians,” stating on X that “Kenya government is responsible for the lives of Burundians living in Kenya.” He added that “letting Kenyan civilians do the work of the police gives the impression of a failed state.”
Later on Monday, Kenya’s Junior Foreign Minister Korir Sing’Oei visited the Burundi embassy, apologised, and assured Burundians that police would protect areas where violence had been reported. He said the president’s remarks had been “misunderstood,” adding: “Our main aim is to know how you are living, where you are, that you have identification, and that your jobs are registered.”
Government spokesperson Charles Owino confirmed that authorities had opened a “formal documentation and registration window” and called on Burundians to present their paperwork at their embassy. He noted 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.”
Burundi, a country of about 15 million people and one of the world’s poorest, is a member of the East African Community (EAC), alongside Kenya, the region’s economic powerhouse. EAC members enjoy freedom of movement within the bloc.
AFP, Africanews
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