State House gives foreigners 90-day reprieve, warns Kenyans against vigilantism
What you need to know:
- State House drew a firm line against vigilante action targeting foreigners, stressing that only authorised State agencies have the power to enforce the law.
- Following President Ruto's order on September 2 on illegal businesses owned by foreigners, some have reported being subjected to ridicule, discrimination and financial challenges, forcing some to seek refuge at their embassies.
State House has announced a 90-day window for foreign nationals conducting business in Kenya to regularise their immigration and licensing status, after President William Ruto directed that a Bill before Parliament be expanded to set clearer rules on who can participate in small-scale trade.
In a statement issued on Monday, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the directive followed complaints raised with the President last week during an engagement with Kenyan traders, who flagged the growing presence of foreign nationals in small-scale businesses and informal trade and its effect on Kenyans who depend on those activities for a living.
Starting immediately, authorities will run a 90-day "regularisation exercise" to help foreign traders comply, coordinated by relevant government agencies and the embassies concerned.
State House said the responsible agencies would administer the requirements "fairly, consistently and without discrimination" during the 90-day period, but warned that once it lapses, immigration, work-permit, registration and licensing rules would be "enforced firmly and strictly in accordance with the law and due process."
"The president reaffirmed the government's responsibility to protect and expand economic opportunities for Kenyan citizens, particularly within the micro and small-enterprise sector that sustains millions of households," the statement read.
The president also directed that the Local Content Bill, 2025 — National Assembly Bill No. 45 of 2025, currently before Parliament — be expanded to establish what the statement described as "a clear, fair and predictable framework" governing participation in small-scale trade and enterprise. The expanded framework would identify categories of economic activity that may be reserved for Kenyan citizens, while setting out legal protections for foreign nationals lawfully entitled to work, invest and do business in the country.
'No vigilantes'
Burundians guard their personal effecta outside the Embassy of Burundi Chancery in Nairobi on September 7, 2026 where they flocked to regularise their documents.
The statement also drew a firm line against vigilante action targeting foreigners, stressing that only authorised State agencies have the power to enforce the law.
"No individual or group has the authority to harass, intimidate, threaten or interfere with foreign nationals or their businesses. Any person who engages in such conduct will face firm action in accordance with the law," the statement said.
It added that legitimate grievances over economic opportunity could not be used to justify discrimination, excuse lawlessness or sanction violence.
Following his order issued on September 2 on illegal businesses owned by foreigners, some have reported being subjected to ridicule, discrimination and financial challenges, forcing some to seek refuge at their embassies.
The Burundi Embassy in Nairobi became a temporary home to hundreds of people who feared of their lives as some rushed to acquire the legal documents for their stay.
Some of them chose to spend the night in the cold within the embassy, saying that they were afraid of going back to their places since their businesses had been raided.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
