NAIROBI, Kenya — In Kibera, one of Nairobi's largest informal settlements, it's another busy morning. People rush to work, hailing matatus along the roadside as vendors set up for the day. But for foreign nationals who run small businesses here, it's far from business as usual.
Last week, President William Ruto ordered authorities to shut down small-scale businesses operated by foreign traders, saying such work should be left to Kenyans. The president gave them until this week to comply, prompting fear among migrant communities. At a matatu terminal in Nairobi, James Mogaka is already seeing the impact.
He manages a hub for the country's ubiquitous minibus taxis and says many of the vehicles are owned or operated by foreign nationals. "Today they have not come. Their vehicles are not here," he says.
Mogaka says one of his drivers is too scared to come to work and is worried about his wife, a Burundian national who runs a fruit business. "The guy is even afraid that people might come to chase away the wife," he says. "I really don't know where we are heading." The government announcement has left migrant communities anxious about the potential impact on their livelihoods and safety.
It also comes against a backdrop of rising tensions over migration and foreign-owned businesses in parts of Africa — from restrictions on non-citizens running certain businesses in Tanzania to a resurgence of xenophobic violence in South Africa. The unease is palpable in Kenya, where many people affected by the directive were reluctant to speak to us on the record. In Nairobi's central business district, the directive is drawing a mixed reaction.
Local trader Robert Kiberenge opposes the move. "The president is just trying to divert our attention from more pressing issues. We have no problem with foreigners doing small businesses in Kenya." But there is also support for the president's move.
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