Burundians seek to leave Kenya amid looming crackdown on undocumented foreign traders

Burundians lined up outside their country’s embassy in Nairobi on Monday seeking travel documents to return home, after Kenyan President William Ruto ordered a crackdown on small-scale businesses operated by foreign traders.

Crowds, mostly young men carrying suitcases and other belongings, gathered outside the embassy. Some said they were leaving Kenya because they felt they had no choice.

Ruto last week called on authorities to close all small-scale businesses operated by foreign traders, after meeting Kenyan traders protesting against tax reforms. Kenya’s trade ministry said the order applied to foreigners operating without work permits.

There were no signs of a crackdown in Nairobi on Monday, but some Burundians outside the embassy said they had received threats from neighbours following Ruto’s remarks. About 16,000 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers live in Kenya, according to the UN refugee agency, with many working in small-scale businesses selling items such as coffee and used clothes.

“They should give us at least a week to plan and go back to Burundi or help us cross the border,” said Munezero Farnke, 18, who said he had lived in Kenya for three years without an ID and had planned to return home next year.