Livelihoods & safety on the line: Countdown to crackdown on foreign hawkers

The fate of hundreds of small-scale traders and hawkers, mostly from neighbouring countries now hangs in the balance ahead of a crackdown ordered by President William Ruto which is set to begin on Monday, September 7, 2026.

As focus shifts from the President's directive to enforcement, foreigners impacted by the order face uncertainty over their businesses, investments and future in Kenya.

While it is unclear how many foreign nationals are involved in small-scale trading or how many would be affected by the new crackdown, citizens from neighbouring countries have been injecting life into Nairobi's vibrant economy, redefining standards in the multi-billion informal sector and small businesses.

From barber shops to salons, hawking and construction, powering Kenya’s economy one service at a time and earning their honest income which they use to support their families back home and in the country.

Several celebrities and prominent Kenyans have reached out to the president, urging him to reconsider the order.

Nairobi County Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Service, Geoffrey Mosiria is among those who have appealed to the president over the directive after interacting with a Burundian trader in the city.

Mosiria who shared a video capturing his interaction with the young man has appealed to the president come up with a clear system for identifying jobs that should be reserved for Kenyans and those that can be taken up by foreign nationals while also emphasising the need for a balanced approach that protects Kenyan jobs and businesses while maintaining good relations with her neighghbours and the international community.

“We should be careful not to create tensions that could eventually put our own people living and doing business in other countries at risk. Let us handle this matter wisely, fairly, and with the long-term interests of Kenya and its people in mind,” he stated.

Rapper Henry Ohanga, popularly known as Octopizzo unpacked the predicament of some foreigners living in Kenya in the wake of the directive.

“Leaving your country, seeking refuge in another, and trying to rebuild your life from scratch is never easy. It is even more painful to finally find a place of safety and opportunity, only to face the threat of being forced out again. Let Burundians living and working in Kenya do so in peace," Octopizzo stated.

With their livelihoods on the line, several hawkers and small-scale traders who have opened up on their plight, revealing that to them, Kenya is the land of immense opportunities and safety that they cannot find at home and most consider the country their second home.

Notably, not all of them are economic migrants as perceived by many

Some of them were uprooted from their countries by conflicts that have raged on for decades and came to Kenya as the country not only offered safety, but also presented opportunities.

Most turned to petty trading, hawking and casual jobs to put food on the table and with others earning a living through skills such as hairdressing.

According to Ruto, the crackdown on foreigners operating small-scale businesses is necessary so as to protect local traders and hawkers.

He explained that the economic gains made by the country is not an open invitation for hawkers to stream in, announcing that

"We have made efforts to improve the economy; we have not improved investor confidence for hawkers to come to Kenya.

“From next week, all [foreign] traders doing those small businesses should close them…It cannot be that a person comes from China or elsewhere to be a hawker or open a small shop,” President Ruto said at State House, Nairobi.