Kenyan singer Bien-Aimé Baraza has commented on a government crackdown targeting foreign nationals, including Burundians, operating small-scale businesses in Kenya without required permits. According to Ghafla Kenya, the artist called for African solidarity, warning that the treatment of one African community could affect others living and working across the continent.

Kenya's Ambassador to Burundi, Henry Wambuma, has assured Kenyan citizens living in Burundi that they remain safe, stating that bilateral relations between the two East African nations remain intact despite an ongoing crackdown on foreign small-scale traders in Kenya. In a diplomatic address issued on Monday, September 7, 2026, Wambuma urged Kenyans residing in Burundi to remain calm, according to Ghafla Kenya.

Kenya’s government has apologised to Burundian nationals over harassment linked to confusion surrounding a crackdown on unlicensed foreign traders, according to Capital FM. The statement, reported from Nairobi on September 7, said authorities would tighten security for immigrants as enforcement continues. The report frames the apology as an effort to reassure Burundians while maintaining measures against unlicensed trading.

Kenyan political analyst Arnold Maliba has argued that Burundian nationals are not the country's real problem, blaming President William Ruto's leadership instead, according to Tuko. The remarks follow Ruto's 2 September announcement of a crackdown on foreign hawkers and small-scale traders, with enforcement beginning on 7 September. The directive has drawn criticism from figures like Maliba, who contend the government's economic management, rather than foreign traders, is to blame for Kenya's challenges.

Sandrine Irandukunda, a Burundian national, has spoken publicly about her distress over Kenya's ongoing crackdown on undocumented foreigners. According to Tuko, Irandukunda, who has a child with a Kenyan, expressed heartbreak amid the enforcement measures, which have left hundreds of foreigners seeking to return home. The report highlights the uncertainty facing undocumented migrants in Kenya as authorities move against those without proper documentation, leaving many families in limbo.

According to Tuko, hundreds of Burundians and other foreign nationals gathered at Nairobi’s Country Bus Station and left for Uganda as Kenyan authorities intensified a crackdown linked to President William Ruto on illegal immigrants and unpermitted businesses. The report describes crowded departures and heightened fear among affected communities, but provides no casualty figures or official government statement confirming the scale of enforcement.