Uganda has launched diplomatic engagement with Kenya following reports that Ugandan traders are among those affected by President William Ruto’s directive restricting foreign nationals from operating small-scale businesses without valid licences.
Officials from Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President confirmed on Tuesday, September 8, that most of those stranded were traders and workers whose permit and licence applications had not yet been processed by Kenyan authorities.
Speaking at a press conference at the Media Centre in Kampala, Aisha Ahmad, head of communication at the Office of the President’s Diaspora Affairs, said Uganda had been fielding complaints from its citizens in Kenya well before the latest enforcement measures were announced.
“We have received reports and concerns from members of our diaspora who have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the Kenyan government’s refusal to listen to them when they applied for work permits and trading licences,” Ahmad said, as quoted by the Daily Monitor.
She added that some Ugandans had already submitted applications and were awaiting approval, while others were still seeking clarity on the status of their submissions.
According to Ahmad, Uganda had begun engaging Kenyan authorities over the matter even before the crackdown intensified.
Citing Pulse Uganda, officials said the country’s diplomatic mission in Nairobi is now working to establish three things: how many citizens applied for work permits and trading licences, how many applications remain pending, and how many Ugandans have yet to take steps toward regularising their status.
The enforcement push stems from a directive by President Ruto ordering authorities to target foreign nationals engaged in hawking, petty retail and other small-scale trade without proper documentation.
The directive has triggered alarm among Ugandan communities in Kenya, with some reportedly crossing back into Uganda through the Busia border point.
Uganda’s intervention signals mounting concern over how Kenya’s enforcement measures are affecting East African nationals who were already in the process of complying with local regulations before the ban took effect.