Hundreds of Burundians gathered outside their embassy in Nairobi on Monday seeking documents to return home, following President William Ruto’s order to shut small businesses run by foreign traders.
Kenya’s trade ministry said the directive targets foreigners working without permits. But the announcement has unsettled Burundians living in the capital, with some reporting threats from neighbours since Ruto’s remarks.
Crowds, mostly young men carrying suitcases and other belongings, queued outside the embassy as they sought help to leave.
Peter Nakumujango, 62, told Reuters he felt forced to return to Burundi and did not know when embassy staff would be able to assist him.
Ruto announced the crackdown last week after meeting Kenyan traders protesting tax reforms. He instructed authorities to begin closing foreign-operated small businesses on Monday, although there were no signs of enforcement in Nairobi that day.
Kenya hosts about 16,000 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers, according to the UN refugee agency. Many earn a living through small businesses, including selling coffee and second-hand clothing in Nairobi.
Munezero Farnke, 18, appealed for at least a week to arrange his departure or assistance crossing the border. He said he had lived in Kenya for three years without an identity document and had originally planned to return next year.
Burundi’s ambassador to Kenya was not immediately available for comment.
Critics accused Ruto of blaming foreigners for Kenya’s economic problems as he prepares to seek a second term in next year’s election.
Writing in the Daily Nation, activist Hanifa Adan argued that the government was looking for an enemy because it lacked answers to the country’s economic difficulties.
The directive follows Ruto’s order last Thursday for India’s Tata Chemicals to halt its Kenyan operations, which he said had failed to benefit the country.
The company said it respected the Kenyan government’s authority and remained committed to constructive engagement.
