Kenyan media personality Lynn Ngugi has questioned the reasoning behind the ongoing crackdown targeting Burundian migrants in Kenya.
Lynn raised concerns about how the situation is being presented to the public, urging Kenyans to critically examine the narrative surrounding the operation.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 8, she compared Kenya’s approach to what has happened in South Africa, saying the country appeared to be taking a similar path.
“I have a lot…I will start with what is happening to our sisters and brothers from Burundi. We have a crackdown, and we have decided we go the South African way,” Lynn said.
The media personality questioned why illegal migration had suddenly become a major public concern when authorities were already expected to understand how migrants enter the country and obtain documentation.
She wondered whether officials had been unaware of the movement of people across the country’s borders or how some individuals allegedly acquire improper documents.
“All of a sudden someone has woken up and decided we have illegal people in this country as if they do not know this,” she said.
Lynn further challenged Kenyans to examine the information being presented to them instead of accepting every explanation surrounding the crackdown.
Lynn questions economic narrative
The media personality also raised questions about claims surrounding the money allegedly earned by Burundian traders and hawkers.
She referred to what she described as a narrative suggesting that the crackdown was intended to protect Kenyan interests and livelihoods.
Lynn questioned whether such explanations should automatically be accepted without examining the wider circumstances behind the government’s actions.
“And the narrative they want you to buy is that they care for you so much that they want this 300 profit that the people from Burundi are making,” she said.
She encouraged Kenyans to remain attentive to developments and exercise their right to question official narratives.
Her remarks add to an increasingly heated public conversation about foreign traders, immigration enforcement and the treatment of migrants in Kenya.
The debate has also attracted reactions from other Kenyan public figures, with concerns emerging over the need to balance enforcement of immigration laws with respect for human dignity.
Lynn concluded her remarks by urging the public to remain alert and critically assess the information surrounding the crackdown.
“Open your eyes,” she told her audience.