Kalonzo Slams Ruto’s Foreign Hawkers Crackdown as Chaotic and Ill-Planned
Burundi has already started making arrangements to assist its citizens who wish to leave Kenya, with its embassy reportedly set to issue free laissez-passer documents.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka has sharply criticized President William Ruto’s government over its ongoing crackdown on foreign nationals involved in hawking and small-scale trade, accusing the administration of governing through crisis.
In a strongly-worded statement posted on his official X account on Monday, September 7, 2026, the Wiper Patriotic Front leader said the operation exposes a government without a clear plan, warning that it risks straining Kenya’s relations with its neighbours.
“Crackdown without strategy is not governance,” Kalonzo stated.
His comments follow a directive issued by President Ruto on September 2, 2026, during a meeting with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) traders at State House, Nairobi. The President ordered foreign nationals operating small businesses and hawking to cease operations, arguing that the move was necessary to shield Kenyan traders from unfair competition.
Ruto directed that enforcement of the administrative measures commence on Monday, September 7, 2026, while Parliament debates a proposed law that would bar foreigners from specific categories of small-scale trade.
The directive has sparked panic among foreign traders, especially Burundian nationals, who have been flocking to their embassy in Nairobi to seek emergency travel documents.
Kalonzo cited the chaotic scenes witnessed outside the Burundian Embassy as proof of poor planning.
“Hundreds of small-scale traders scrambling for emergency travel documents outside the Burundian Embassy in Nairobi this week, ahead of a government deadline, tell you everything about how this crackdown has been handled,” he said.
According to Kalonzo, the government failed to consider the diplomatic and economic fallout of the directive. He argued that while protecting local traders is important, it should be done through a structured and lawful process that allows both Kenyan and foreign entrepreneurs to operate within the law.
“There are better, more deliberate ways to protect Kenyan small businesses and create an environment where entrepreneurs, Kenyan and foreign alike, can thrive within the law,” he added.
Burundi has already started making arrangements to assist its citizens who wish to leave Kenya, with its embassy reportedly set to issue free laissez-passer documents.
Kalonzo further argued that the government is misdiagnosing the problems facing small traders.
“The real threats facing our small traders are corruption, an unpredictable working environment including this regime’s erratic tariffs and taxation policies, and the pre-election tensions being deliberately stoked by the outgoing regime, not the presence of foreign traders alone,” he said.
He urged the administration to focus on creating a stable and predictable business environment, strengthening the rule of law, and using diplomacy to handle cross-border trade issues.
“Diplomacy, dialogue, and respect for the rule of law must take centre stage, not just because we are approaching the 2027 General Election, but because that is how a government that respects the law conducts itself every day,” Kalonzo said.
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