Kenya Moves to End Confusion Over Foreign Worker Directives, Announces Registration Window for Undocumented East Africans

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The Government of Kenya has moved to clarify recent public discourse and media reports surrounding directives on foreign workers, small-scale retail and informal trade, stressing that the measures are intended to regulate economic activity while protecting local livelihoods and upholding the rule of law.

Following directives issued by President William Samoei Ruto on September 2, 2026, the Government says the measures are aimed at strengthening local participation in small-scale trade and safeguarding vulnerable sectors of the domestic economy.

The Government has emphasized that the directives should not be interpreted as a blanket ban or hostile action against foreign nationals, particularly citizens of East African Community member states.

Recognizing that some East African nationals, including Burundian citizens, may be residing and working in Kenya without complete documentation, the Government says it will establish a formal documentation and registration window.

Undocumented East African nationals are being encouraged to present themselves through their respective embassies or high commissions to facilitate identity verification and regularization.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work with the Embassy of Burundi and other regional partners to coordinate the process and address individual documentation cases.

The Government further states that individuals who voluntarily enter the registration process during the designated window will be protected from arbitrary harassment while their cases are being processed.

Security agencies, local authorities and businesses have been directed not to subject foreign nationals who are documented or undergoing registration to arbitrary harassment, intimidation or discrimination.

The Government has also reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy towards xenophobia, warning that individuals who exploit the new directives to target or mistreat East African nationals will face the full force of the law.

Kenya says it will work with civil society organizations and humanitarian partners to strengthen monitoring of migrant safety, particularly in urban areas, and ensure that the process is conducted with dignity and respect for human rights.

The Government has also rejected reports portraying the administrative measures as a blanket ban on foreign nationals, saying such interpretations misrepresent the intent of the directives.

Kenya reaffirmed its commitment to the East African Community Common Market Protocol, noting that the country's historical, economic and cultural ties with its neighbors remain strong.

“Kenya remains an open, hospitable and law-abiding member of the East African family. Our neighbors are not strangers to us; our histories, cultures and destinies remain deeply intertwined.”

The Government urged the public and media to rely on official communication regarding the implementation of the directives and cautioned against spreading information that could fuel discrimination, hostility or xenophobia.

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