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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Kenyan president orders foreign-owned small businesses to shut down

From Premium Times · () English

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

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • President William Ruto ordered enforcement against foreign nationals operating small retail businesses and hawking activities in Kenya, beginning the following Monday.
  • Ruto said the measure would protect Kenyan traders and businesses reserved for citizens, while a Local Content Bill covering similar issues remains before Parliament.
  • Kenya joins Tanzania, Ghana and Botswana in restricting foreign participation in selected low-capital businesses.

Kenya’s President William Ruto has ordered foreign-owned small retail shops and other small businesses to shut down, directing the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry to begin enforcement the following Monday.

Ruto said the move would protect Kenyan traders and ensure that businesses reserved for citizens do not face unfair competition. He said the government would not wait for Parliament to pass proposed legislation before taking administrative action.

All those traders and hawkers doing these small businesses should close down

· William RutoThe Kenyan president’s order to foreign traders and hawkers operating in businesses reserved for citizens.

“All those traders and hawkers doing these small businesses should close down,” Ruto said. “From next week, all traders doing those small businesses should close them.”

From next week, all traders doing those small businesses should close them

· William RutoRuto’s instruction on when enforcement against foreign-operated small businesses should begin.

A Local Content Bill introduced in 2025 would increase Kenyan participation in economic activity and create more opportunities for local businesses and citizens. It also proposes sourcing at least 60% of goods, services and supplies locally when they meet required standards.

Ruto said Kenya wants large-scale foreign investment while protecting small business owners, particularly those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. “We have made efforts to improve the economy; we have not improved investor confidence for hawkers to come to Kenya,” he said. “The investor confidence we have built is for investors to come to Kenya, not hawkers and traders. People should not confuse us.”

We have made efforts to improve the economy; we have not improved investor confidence for hawkers to come to Kenya

· William RutoRuto distinguished the foreign investment Kenya seeks from small-scale trading by foreign nationals.

Kenya joins a group of African countries imposing similar restrictions. Tanzania barred non-citizens from 15 business activities in July 2025, while Ghana reserved informal retail for citizens in August. Botswana uses a citizen-reserved licensing system. The measures cover activities such as petty retail, mobile money services, salons and small-scale manufacturing.

The investor confidence we have built is for investors to come to Kenya, not hawkers and traders. People should not confuse us

· William RutoThe president’s explanation of the policy’s intended focus on large-scale investment.
About this summary

Originally published by Premium Times in English. 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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