President William Ruto has ordered a major national crackdown on foreign nationals operating small businesses across Kenya, setting Monday, September 7, as the deadline for state agencies to enforce shut-downs. Addressing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) traders at State House on Wednesday, September 2, the Head of State insisted that the government must reserve small-scale trade and informal retail exclusively for Kenyan citizens. Ruto instructed law enforcement and trade officials to initiate compliance operations next week, taking direct aim at foreign nationals who venture into micro-retail. “From next week, all traders doing those small businesses should close them,” Ruto told the gathering. The president stressed that while government economic reforms aim to attract major international capital, foreign investors should not displace local micro-entrepreneurs in neighborhood markets and urban centers. “We have made efforts to improve the economy… We have not improved investor confidence for hawkers to come to Kenya,” Ruto said. He maintained that Kenya must establish clear boundaries to safeguard small traders from external competition. “It cannot be that a person comes from China or elsewhere to be a hawker or open a small shop,” he added. Fast-Tracking the Local Content Bill, 2025 To permanently shield local markets, President Ruto directed National Assembly Maj...
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