Burundi’s ruling CNDD-FDD party met with Kenya’s ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in Nairobi this week, as hundreds of Burundians sought help from their embassy amid a Kenyan crackdown on undocumented foreign traders.
CNDD-FDD Secretary General Révérien Ndikuriyo was received by UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan at UDA headquarters at Hustler Plaza on Wednesday. The talks covered the status of Burundian nationals living and working in Kenya, relations between the two ruling parties, and broader Kenya-Burundi cooperation.
The meeting came days after Kenyan President William Ruto ordered authorities to shut down small businesses run by foreign traders, a move that alarmed foreign nationals, including many Burundians. Hundreds subsequently gathered at Burundi’s embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents and information about their options. Kenya has since announced a 90-day window for undocumented foreign nationals to regularize their status.
According to UDA, Hassan assured Ndikuriyo that Kenya would work to regularize undocumented Burundians and issue the necessary work permits within that 90-day period. Ndikuriyo, for his part, thanked Kenya for its hospitality toward Burundian citizens.
EAC free movement under pressure
The dispute carries weight beyond the bilateral relationship. Kenya and Burundi both belong to the East African Community, whose integration framework commits members to the free movement of people and goods, a principle UDA said remains central to the two countries’ trade and investment ties.
Kenya has framed the 90-day compliance exercise as a matter of enforcing immigration law, not targeting any nationality.
