NAIROBI, Kenya- The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has urged the Kenyan government to clarify how its planned crackdown on foreign-owned small businesses will affect refugees who rely on petty trade to support their families.
NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland said refugees should not be caught up in a blanket enforcement operation, arguing that many depend on small businesses in Nairobi and other Kenyan towns for their livelihoods.
“Small trade is how many refugee families in Nairobi and other Kenyan towns survive,” Egeland said, warning that losing income could quickly put families at risk of losing their rented homes.
The intervention follows President William Ruto’s directive for the government to begin enforcement against foreign nationals operating small businesses and hawking in Kenya from Monday, September 7.
Ruto issued the directive on September 2 while addressing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at State House in Nairobi.
He said small-scale trading activities should be protected for Kenyan citizens and instructed the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry to begin enforcement.
The President has maintained that Kenya remains open to foreign investment but said foreigners should not compete with Kenyans in small-scale businesses such as hawking and small retail shops.
Egeland said the government should distinguish between foreign traders and refugees who are legally entitled to work and engage in economic activities in Kenya.
Kenya’s Refugee Act, 2021 provides a framework for refugee economic inclusion and self-reliance. The government’s Shirika Plan is also designed to move refugee policy towards greater self-reliance, economic inclusion and integration with host communities.
The NRC said refugees already operate businesses and pursue self-employment as part of their livelihoods. The organisation supports refugees and host communities with business registration, licences and other documentation, alongside programmes aimed at improving employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
UNHCR Kenya similarly identifies petty trade and small and medium-sized businesses among the main ways refugees earn livelihoods, while its economic-inclusion programmes seek to expand access to self-employment and business opportunities.
Egeland urged the government to safeguard refugees’ ability to earn a living while enforcing the new measures.
“Kenya has long been a generous host to nearly a million refugees,” he said, arguing that careful implementation would help preserve the country’s approach to refugee self-reliance.
The NRC’s intervention comes as the government prepares to enforce Ruto’s directive, with questions emerging over how authorities will identify businesses affected by the crackdown and distinguish refugees with legal rights to work and conduct business from other foreign nationals.
UNHCR guidance states that recognised refugees can apply for Class M work permits, while refugees seeking to register businesses can do so through the relevant government and support agencies.
