Kenya moves to regularize foreign businesses after president’s remarks alarm immigrant communities
The government says the 90-day window will let affected traders update permits and licences before stricter enforcement begins.
- On Sunday, Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui clarified that Kenya's visa-free entry policy does not permit foreign nationals to work or conduct business in the country.
- The clarification precedes today's deadline set by President William Ruto for foreign nationals operating small-scale retail shops to close their enterprises, following his September 2 directive reserving petty trade for Kenyans.
- Kinyanjui noted the "deliberate misuse of visa applications," with visitors entering as tourists before engaging in unauthorized trade, while Local traders complained foreign operators sell goods at prices difficult for micro-enterprises to match.
- Parliament is considering the Local Content Bill, which proposes foreign firms source at least 60 per cent of goods from Kenyan companies while at least 80 per cent of workforce comprises Kenyan citizens.
- Taken together, these measures could carry diplomatic risks if affected countries respond with similar restrictions against Kenyans operating abroad, as Kenya must balance protecting Local traders without undermining regional trade commitments.
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Foreigners in Kenya given 90 days to regularise documents
The Kenyan government on Tuesday gave foreigners running businesses in the country 90 days to obtain or update required documents, including work permits and business licenses. The move followed remarks by the president about foreign-owned businesses that sparked panic in immigrant communities.
Kenya Gives Foreign Shop Owners, Including Africans Ninety Days To Leave Or Face Eviction
President William Ruto wants foreign nationals out of Kenya's retail sector. The government issued a strict ninety-day deadline for foreign business owners to regularize their documentation or pack their bags.
Kenya cracks down on foreign traders
In tonight's edition, Hundreds of Burundians flocked to their embassy in Nairobi to get travel documents to return home. Also, in his first speech to the National assembly, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo slams the rise of xenophobic rhetoric on the continent. And I speak to the founder of an AI surgical non-profit of the work being done in Tanzania to extend the reach of the country's 27 over burdened neurosurgeons.
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