news 8 September 2026 Nile Post
Mukula Sounds Alarm on Xenophobia Amidst Kenya's Foreign Trader Crackdown
Businessman Mike Mukula has expressed grave concern over Kenya's recent crackdown on foreign traders, warning that it could foster xenophobia and jeopardize the East African Community's integration goals. He urged swift intervention from EAC leaders to address the situation. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/369705/mukula-warns-of-xenophobia-as-kenya-crackdown-puts-foreign-traders-under-pressure
Prominent Ugandan businessman Mike Mukula has voiced serious concerns regarding Kenya’s recent intensified crackdown on foreign nationals engaged in small-scale trade. Mukula believes these actions, spearheaded by President William Ruto’s administration, risk igniting xenophobia within the East African Community (EAC) and undermining the spirit of regional integration.
President Ruto’s government stated that the crackdown aims to protect Kenyan micro-traders from what it perceives as unfair competition. The enforcement measures have specifically targeted Chinese retail traders, as well as urban refugees and migrants from countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Reports indicate that some foreigners, particularly Burundians in Nairobi, are seeking documentation from their embassies amidst fears of increased scrutiny and potential expulsion.
Mukula emphasized that while he supports lawful enforcement of national laws, measures should not be interpreted as collective punishment based on nationality. “The EAC framework is founded on the progressive free movement of people, goods, services and capital,” Mukula stated, adding that any enforcement must be “orderly, lawful, humane and free from collective punishment or hostility towards any nationality.”
He appealed to the EAC leadership to engage Kenya and other affected partner states promptly through dialogue to address these rising tensions. The situation in Kenya mirrors broader regional trends where governments are tightening controls on foreign participation in informal commerce, citing issues seen in South Africa and Rwanda.
Mukula also highlighted the underlying economic pressures that often drive migration, particularly in Burundi. He urged the Burundian government to address domestic economic hardships while cautioning that economic frustrations should not translate into hostility towards neighboring country citizens. Mukula concluded by advocating for cooperation over xenophobia and economic integration over division, stressing that “East Africans should never become strangers to one another in East Africa.”
Source: Nile Post