Expert Urges Leaders to Avoid Politicising Ruto’s Foreign Business Directive
Diplomacy and international relations expert Philemon Samoei has called on political leaders to avoid politicising President William Ruto’s directive on the documentation of foreign nationals operating businesses in Kenya.
Samoei said the directive should be treated as an enforcement matter aimed at ensuring compliance with Kenyan laws rather than as a measure directed at people from particular countries.
He warned that interpreting the directive along national or ethnic lines could create tensions with Kenya’s neighbours and complicate relations that are important to the country’s economy and regional interests.
“If the President’s directive is taken out of context, it could spark unnecessary diplomatic tensions between Kenya and neighbouring countries,” Samoei said.
He urged political leaders to choose their words carefully when discussing the directive, particularly because Kenya has extensive economic and diplomatic links with neighbouring states.
“Kenya maintains important economic and diplomatic relations with its neighbours, and careless talk is detrimental to those relations,” he said.
Samoei said the government should clearly explain what the directive entails and the categories of foreign nationals targeted by the documentation exercise.
He said enforcement agencies should establish whether individuals operating businesses in Kenya have the required documentation and permits before taking action.
According to Samoei, nationality should not be the basis for enforcement.
Instead, authorities should determine whether a person is operating legally and whether the business complies with Kenya’s regulatory requirements.
The expert said such an approach would help prevent the exercise from being misunderstood as an attempt to discriminate against foreign nationals.
He also called for consistent enforcement across different sectors and locations to ensure that legitimate foreign traders and investors are not unfairly affected.
Samoei’s remarks come amid growing debate over foreign nationals operating businesses in Kenya, with concerns raised about individuals allegedly engaging in commercial activities without meeting the required legal conditions.
He said Kenya has a legitimate responsibility to protect its local businesses and ensure that everyone operating within its economy follows the same rules.
At the same time, he cautioned against allowing the enforcement exercise to spill into Kenya’s diplomatic relations with neighbouring countries.
Samoei said cross-border trade, investment and movement of people remain important to the economies of Kenya and its neighbours.
He argued that a firm but fair enforcement process would allow Kenya to address illegal business practices without creating unnecessary friction with other countries.
The government, he said, should therefore provide clear information to the public and affected foreign nationals about the documentation requirements and the procedures that will be followed.
He further urged political leaders to leave enforcement matters to the relevant government agencies while avoiding statements that could fuel suspicion or hostility towards particular nationalities.
Samoei maintained that Kenya can protect opportunities for local entrepreneurs while continuing to welcome legitimate foreign investment and regional trade.
He said separating domestic law enforcement from regional politics would help the government achieve its objective without undermining Kenya’s relations with neighbouring countries.
