Kenyan Youth Filmed Reportedly Removing Foreign Traders, Footage Sparks Xenophobia Debate Online
- Tensions are rising in Nakuru City. Kenya, where youngsters were filmed forcibly removing foreign traders
- The move comes after President William Ruto ordered an immediate crackdown on foreigners operating small businesses
- South Africans drew immediate comparisons to local anti-immigration movements, with some accusing Kenya of xenophobia
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Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
KENYA - Tensions are rising in Kenya following a directive by President William Ruto.
The President ordered all small-scale retail and hawking businesses operated by foreign nationals to cease operations. The policy, framed as a measure to protect local livelihoods and reduce youth unemployment, reserves that segment of the economy exclusively for Kenyan citizens.
Street footage filmed in Nakuru City on 7 September 2026, the enforcement date of the directive, has gone viral, showing a crowd of people gathering and removing foreign traders.
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Foreign nationals prepare to leave Kenya
Shortly after the youngsters took to the streets, Burundi nationals flocked to the Burundi Embassy in Nairobi, as well as cyber cafes, to process travel documents. Reports also surfaced that Congolese nationals were applying for border passes to leave the country in the wake of the President's directive being enforced.
Social media users draw xenophobia comparisons
The footage quickly attracted commentary from social media users, many of whom drew parallels to South Africa's anti-illegal immigration demonstrations, which were labelled as xenophobic.
@donald34521 wrote:
"These guys are going to do it worse than South Africans, because the instruction came from the top. They are everything March and March was accused of."
@zito142 asked:
"So, Kenya is exempt from being xenophobic?"
@sparx_ltd remarked:
"Oh, what a xenophobic country."
@AlunamdaNocanda noted:
"The xenophobia program is not above anyone"
@ReneilweMolefe3 added:
"But where are the 'authorities mandated to that' aai savelelwa la emzansi?"
Citizens order foreign shop owners to close businesses
Briefly News reported that foreign shop owners were ordered to close their businesses during an anti-illegal immigration march in Johannesburg.
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma criticised corrupt police officers during the protest, saying that they were betraying South Africans.
South Africans took to social media to dispel claims that there was chaos during what was described as a peaceful march in the city.
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Source: Briefly News
