The East Africa Law Society (EALS) has called on the Kenyan government to ensure its crackdown on unlicensed foreign traders is conducted in accordance with the law. In a statement issued in Nairobi, the regional legal body emphasised that enforcement measures against illegal foreign traders must follow due process and respect legal standards. The appeal comes as Kenyan authorities pursue action against foreign nationals trading without proper licences, a move that has drawn attention from legal and business stakeholders across East Africa.

East African human rights organisations, including the East African Law Society and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, have cautioned President William Ruto over his administration's crackdown on foreign-run small businesses. According to the Eastleigh Voice, the bodies warned that enforcement must comply with the law and avoid discrimination, profiling, and rights violations against foreign nationals operating in Kenya.

The Kenyan government has clarified President William Ruto's directive targeting foreigners engaged in small-scale businesses. Government spokesperson Charles Owino said on September 7 that the measures aim to regulate informal trade and protect local livelihoods, not to ban East African nationals from the country. According to the government, the core intent is to protect vulnerable sectors of the economy rather than exclude foreign traders entirely.

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.

Opposition leaders, including former Chief Justice David Maraga, have criticised President William Ruto's handling of a crackdown on foreign traders in Kenya, the Eastleigh Voice reports. Maraga said the enforcement exercise, which began on Monday, September 7, was based on a presidential directive rather than an enacted law. He argued that the government cannot use a State House announcement to alter Kenya's constitutional and regional obligations.

The Kenyan government has outlined new requirements targeting foreigners operating small businesses in the country, as it moves to enforce an order issued by President William Ruto, according to Soko Directory. The crackdown specifies which foreign nationals and business activities fall within its scope, though full details of the requirements were not provided in the initial report. The measures form part of broader efforts by the administration to regulate foreign participation in the small business sector.