Hundreds of Burundians gathered at their country’s embassy in Nairobi to seek travel documents after Kenya ordered a crackdown on small businesses operated by foreigners without work permits.
President William Ruto directed authorities to close affected businesses from Monday. Kenya’s trade ministry said the order applied to foreign nationals operating without the required permits.
Reuters reported that there were no visible signs of a broad enforcement operation in Nairobi on Monday, but some Burundians said they had received threats and wanted to leave the country.
The United Nations refugee agency estimates that Kenya hosts about 16,000 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers. Not all Burundians living or working in the country fall into that category, and the total number affected by the business directive was not immediately clear.
People at the embassy were seeking emergency travel documents and other assistance. Burundi’s ambassador was not available for comment when Reuters sought a response.
The Kenyan government has framed the action as enforcement of immigration and business-permit rules. Critics have accused the government of blaming foreign traders for economic pressures, a claim that remains part of the political debate around the order.
Questions remain about how the directive will be implemented, which businesses will be inspected and what process will apply to people with pending immigration or refugee claims. The immediate impact has been a rush for documents among Burundians concerned about their position in Kenya.
