– NAIROBI, Kenya
President William Ruto has ordered foreign nationals operating small shops and street-vending businesses in Kenya to close their establishments starting Monday, September 7, 2026. The president made the announcement on Wednesday, September 2, during a meeting with micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) traders at State House, Nairobi. The measure aims to protect local entrepreneurs from competition in low-capital activities that, according to Ruto, should be reserved exclusively for Kenyans.
The president emphasized that government efforts to grow the economy and attract investment were never intended to allow foreigners to engage in street vending or open small retail shops. ‘It is unacceptable for someone to come from China or anywhere else to engage in street vending or open a small shop,’ the president stated. He added that Kenya has not worked to build investor confidence merely to have small-scale foreign traders flood the informal market.
Implementation of the measure will begin administratively on September 7, once the Cabinet Secretary for Trade, Lee Kinyanjui, returns from Addis Ababa. Ruto made it clear that the government would not wait for new laws to be passed before taking action. Currently, a local content bill is making its way through parliament, it seeks to formalize these restrictions by reserving certain businesses for Kenyan citizens and establishing local hiring and sourcing standards for foreign companies.
Ruto drew a clear distinction between fostering large-scale investment that creates jobs and the small-scale trade he wishes to reserve for citizens. He stated that foreigners should focus on larger-scale projects rather than competing with Kenyans in everyday activities like street vending and small-scale retail. The traders present at the meeting welcomed the directive with applause.
As of September 3, 2026, the order remains official policy. The exact details regarding how authorities will identify and shut down the affected businesses remain pending. Observers note that the decision could impact traders from neighboring East African countries operating in Kenya's informal sector, and further clarifications are expected as the September 7 start date approaches.