William Ruto

I think policy is reflecting it.

So if you look at Kenya, for example, I think Ruto came into power with some aspirations of you know i'm going to tax you more i'm going to generate more revenue to help solve some of the debt issues what he forgot to do maybe he was a bit too um shall i say arrogant about it right what he forgot to do was he forgot to properly sequence right i need to make sure that if I'm going to tax people more, I need to take extreme care in ensuring that they trust that I'm going to use the money well.

Right.

And I think that's the part that he forgot.

But I think it goes to your question of why isn't the policy shifting? I think the policy is shifting.

I think that there is more of an awareness amongst the political class that there is their new pressures coming from the younger generation to justify their existence.

And I think that Ruto being forced to back down on some of his revenue taxation goals was an acknowledgement of that.

I don't, I see your point, but let me push back a little bit on it.

Hundreds of Burundians gathered at their embassy in Nairobi on Tuesday seeking travel documents to return home despite an amnesty announced by Kenya for undocumented East Africans.

They said they feared violence and harassment after President William Ruto ordered a crackdown on small businesses operated by foreign traders.

Kenya said registered foreigners could continue working in other sectors while undocumented migrants were given 90 days leave.

There are about 16,000 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

to East Africa, where Kenya says it will register undocumented Burundians and other East Africans living in the country as authorities work to regularize their immigration status.

Per BBC Africa government spokesperson Charles Owino, says those undergoing the process will be presumed to be legally in Kenya, following concerns sparked by President William Ruto's directive targeting foreigners in small-scale businesses.

To the Middle East, where the United States Central Command says American forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard near Karg Island and the port city of Jask.

The strikes followed two Iranian ballistic missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship, while Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated with a ballistic missile attack on Jordan's al-Asraq airbase, claiming that it had hit hangars housing U.S. fighter jets.

Kenya is beginning a crackdown on foreign nationals operating small retail shops and engaging in hawking.

This was after President William Ruto directed authorities to shut down such businesses from the 7th of September.

Ruto made the announcement on the 2nd of September while addressing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises through SMEs, traders at the State House in Nairobi.

Joining us this evening is Dr. Cliff Maboya, Research Fellow at the Afro-Sino Center of International Studies.

Dr. Maboya, good evening and thank you for joining us.

Good evening, nice to be here.

Doctor, if we can interpret and understand what exactly has President William Ruto ordered authorities to do and which foreign nationals and businesses are actually being targeted and affected in this announcement of the President?

Well, we've had several foreign nationals operating in the country for some time, but then the last few years, maybe two or three years ago, There's been a huge rise in the number of Burundi nationals coming into the country, operating informally, selling things like coffee and snacks on the streets, groundnuts and things like that.

The defendant, who is also known as Mark Shuma, is a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage.

Kenya says it will register undocumented Burundians and other East Africans living in the country following days of anxiety over President William Ruto's directive targeting foreigners in small-scale businesses.

The Kenyan government spokesperson has said those without proper documents should register through their embassies or high commissions as the authorities work with diplomatic missions to regularize their status.

You are tuned to the daily Africa service of Vatican Radio.

Kenya's government offered a temporary amnesty to undocumented East African nationals, after hundreds of Burundians flocked to their country's embassy in Nairobi, seeking travel documents, fearing a crackdown on small-scale traders from abroad.

Kenyan President William Ruto last week called on authorities to close down all small-scale businesses operated by foreign traders, starting on Monday, following a meeting with Kenyan traders who had been protesting against tax reforms.

The order, which Kenya's trade ministry said applied to foreigners operating without work permits, sparked chaos outside Burundi's embassy today, with some Burundians saying they had been threatened by neighbors since Ruto's remarks.

There were no signs of a crackdown in Nairobi today, and a spokesperson for Rudo's administration later said the government had a policy of "...absolute zero tolerance toward any form of harassment, intimidation, or xenophobia," and urged undocumented nationals from other East African countries, and specifically from Burundi, to formally register at their embassies.