Kenya Grants Migrant Amnesty Following Mass Exodus and Panic at Burundian Embassy

Burundian nationals gathered outside their embassy to apply for border passes following a Kenyan government directive to shut down undocumented small-scale traders, in Nairobi on September 7, 2026. Kenya has offered a temporary amnesty to undocumented East African migrants after hundreds of Burundians rushed to their country’s embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents to return home.

Kenyan President William Ruto’s government last week ordered authorities to close small businesses run by foreigners, starting on Monday. The order, which Kenya’s Ministry of Trade said applied to foreigners operating without work permits, led to chaos outside Burundi’s embassy on Monday, with some Burundians saying they had been threatened by neighbours since Ruto’s remarks.

Kenya has long drawn migrants from the East African Community, an intergovernmental organisation that allows freedom of movement for citizens of its eight member states, including Burundi. About 16,000 Burundian migrants and refugees live in the country, according to the United Nations, many of them operating small street businesses.

On Monday, despite no signs of a crackdown, crowds queued outside Burundi’s embassy from the morning to await papers that would allow them to travel home. Some reported harassment and violence following Ruto’s directive. Jean-Baptiste Ndayizeye, a pastor, told the AFP news agency that his neighbours had been attacked and robbed, stating they had been expelled like animals.

Later on Monday, a spokesman for Ruto’s administration urged undocumented nationals from other East African countries, and specifically from Burundi, to formally register at their embassies. The administration stated that individuals undergoing registration will be presumed legally present in the Republic of Kenya during this designated registration period to ensure access to health, banking, and legal protections without fear.

The government also issued a directive to security agencies and local authorities that foreign nationals were not to be subjected to arbitrary harassment or discrimination, warning that xenophobic elements would face the full force of the law.

Following reports of harassment, Kenya’s junior foreign minister Korir Sing’Oei visited the embassy, apologised to Burundians, and assured them police would protect areas where violence had been reported. Critics of President Ruto have accused him of blaming foreigners for Kenya’s economic difficulties before an election next year.