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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Kenya’s rights body warns over order to close foreign-owned shops

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Official statement Ongoing story
  • Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights warned that President William Ruto’s order restricting foreign citizens from retail and street trading could lead to threats, discrimination and attacks.
  • The commission urged the government to enforce migration and trade rules lawfully and without discrimination, while protecting vulnerable people.
  • The dispute follows a deadline for foreign traders to close their businesses and a government offer to regularize undocumented migrants.

Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights has raised alarm over the possible impact of President William Ruto’s order barring foreign citizens from retail trade and street vending. The commission said refugees and migrant communities had reported threats, intimidation, discriminatory treatment and online attacks.

The KNCHR acknowledged the government’s legitimate responsibility to regulate immigration, employment, commerce and investment. But it said those measures must also respect equality before the law, non-discrimination and procedural fairness.

The commission called for enforcement that is lawful, rights-based and free from discrimination. It also urged authorities to protect vulnerable people, create accessible enforcement mechanisms, prevent abuse and strengthen oversight and accountability. The public, it said, should not take the law into its own hands, and authorities should respond “with the full force of the law” to such conduct.

Given Kenya’s role as a host to migrants and refugees from diverse backgrounds, all measures related to migration and enforcement interventions must be applied lawfully, fairly, consistently and without discrimination on the basis of nationality.

· Kenya National Commission on Human RightsThe commission set out the rights standards it said should govern the government’s measures.

The warning followed the government’s offer to regularize undocumented migrants. Hundreds of Burundians living in Kenya went to their embassy in Nairobi to process passports and travel documents after the deadline for closing their shops expired. Burundi’s embassy then announced emergency travel documents for citizens who wanted to return home.

Ruto linked the directive to the Local Content Bill of 2025, which is under parliamentary consideration and would restrict certain commercial activities to Kenyan nationals while requiring at least 60% of supplies and services to come from local sources. A day later, he also said he had ordered Indian multinational Tata Chemicals to leave Kenya, accusing it of failing to generate economic development. The article ends as it begins to outline criticism from Ruto’s opponents.

with the full force of the law

· Kenya National Commission on Human RightsThe commission urged authorities to act firmly against threats, intimidation and other abuses.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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