President William Ruto opened a pandora's box last week when he ordered a crackdown on foreigners engaging in small-scale businesses that Kenyans were engaged in, giving the latter competition and depriving them of jobs.
The result of that proclamation was clear yesterday: Dr Ruto's deadline for foreign traders to quit. Some Kenyans took matters into their own hands; they warned the mostly Burundian petty traders, harassed and looted their businesses. Ruto's warning and the reaction of some of the ordinary Kenyans sent panic across the community, forcing majority of them to seek refuge at the Burundi Embassy in Nairobi, hoping to be facilitated to return home safely.
Although Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singoei sought to calm the diplomatic temperatures, stating that Ruto's comments were misunderstood, the damage wrought by the President's remarks had been done, and it did not stop matters from deteriorating as witnessed yesterday. #WilliamRuto
