Foreign Affairs PS Sing’oei Apologises to Burundians Over Harassment After Ruto’s Small Business Directive
He said the government would establish where the nationals live, ensure their safety and facilitate the acquisition of identification documents.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has apologised to Burundi nationals living in Kenya over alleged harassment they have faced following recent government directives targeting foreigners in small businesses.
Sing’oei spoke during a visit to the Embassy of Burundi on Dennis Pritt Road in Nairobi on Monday, where he engaged with Burundi nationals and assured them of government support to ensure they are documented or voluntarily repatriated.
“I want to say sorry to all the Burundi nationals here because of the problem that you have befallen you. For so many years, you have lived in Kenya together with the Kenyan nationals. You have stayed in peace as neighbours,” Sing’oei said.
He said some Burundi nationals had been affected after a directive requiring people operating small businesses without licences to vacate the country was misunderstood and misapplied.
“I say sorry because the other day there was a directive that those who operate small businesses without licences should vacate Kenya. Most of the people did not understand the message well and because of that, some of you have been exposed to ridicule from neighbours and friends, and we say sorry,” he added.
The PS said the government’s intention was not to expel East Africans but to ensure that Africans, particularly East Africans, could live together peacefully while ensuring that foreign nationals in Kenya were properly documented.
He said the government would establish where the nationals live, ensure their safety and facilitate the acquisition of identification documents.
“I want to assure you that the intention of the government is to ensure that the Africans and East Africans live like brothers. Our intention is to know how you are living, make sure that we know where you are. That you are all okay and documented,” Sing’oei said.
The PS said the government also wanted to ensure that businesses operated by Burundi nationals were known and properly documented to give them greater security and protection.
“We also want to ensure that you have identification documents and that your business is known so that you have a sense of security for your business,” he said.
Sing’oei asked the Burundi nationals to remain patient as the government undertakes the documentation exercise. He said security would be tightened in areas where they live to prevent further harassment and intimidation.
“In the coming few days, I ask you to be patient; the government will tighten security where you live so that you are not harassed where you stay. We shall also create awareness to Kenyans to understand why the government is conducting this exercise, to give us the chance to document you,” he said.
His visit came as hundreds of Burundian nationals living in Kenya thronged the Embassy of Burundi and nearby cyber cafés along Dennis Pritt Road, seeking passports, emergency travel documents and other paperwork.
A video seen by The Star showed large numbers of Burundians inside the embassy compound on Monday morning. Outside, many more queued at a cyber café along the same road, carrying national ID cards, passports and permits as they waited their turn to be served.
While the documentation exercise is routine, with the mission regularly issuing travel documents to its citizens, the surge coincides with heightened anxiety following President William Ruto’s recent directives targeting foreigners in small-scale trade.
From the videos circulating online, some nationals were seen gathering at country bus stages with their belongings, preparing to travel back home. Others were processing documents in anticipation of possible departure.
Meanwhile, police have warned the public against targeting perceived illegal foreigners engaged in small businesses. The police said they had not received any reports of harassment of foreigners, especially from Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, but urged Kenyans to remain calm as the government handles the matter through diplomatic and legal channels.
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