Also known as: EAC · East African Community Treaty
Regional bloc comprising East African countries whose citizens have legal trade and movement rights under its Common Market framework.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Citizen Digital
… State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed later issued a statement giving foreign nationals from East African Community countries 90 days to regularise their presence in the country. …
Roadside declarations: How Ruto's remarks fuel public confusionCapital News
… AIROBI, Kenya, Sep 9 — The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has called on the government to review its directive affecting foreign nationals engaged in small-scale trade, warning that enforcement must comply with the Constitution and Kenya’s obligations under the East African Community …
LSK calls for review of foreign trader directive, warns against nationality-based attacksCapital News
… Ruto said Kenya offers investors access to its domestic market as well as more than 300 million people in the East African Community, 700 million in COMESA and a continent-wide market of 1.4 billion people through the African Continental Free Trade Area. …
Ruto pitches Kenya as Africa investment gateway amid foreign investor tensionsCitizen Digital
… Audio By Vocalize The government has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to East African Community (EAC) integration, with Principal Secretary for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Susan Mang’eni defending the free movement of people and trade within the regional bloc. …
Gov't defends EAC free movement as debate over foreign traders intensifiesCitizen Digital
… Under the East African Community's Common Market Protocol, every partner state must let citizens of the other partner states enter without a visa, move around freely once inside, stay for as long as six months, and leave without restriction. …
Explainer: What East Africans need to enter, live and trade in KenyaThe Standard
Kenya’s move to shut down small businesses operated by foreign nationals is putting its binding commitments under the East African Community’s Common Market Protocol to the test, analysts have warned, and may expose the region’s largest economy to retaliatory measures that could …
Ruto tests EAC trade pacts with foreign-owned businesses crackdownThe Standard
… Kenya is part of the East African Community (EAC) Common Market, which provides for the free movement of persons and workers, as well as the right of establishment. …
Targeting immigrants will not solve Kenya's unemployment crisisThe Standard
… esident Charles Kanjama said that the Kenyan government is entitled to regulate trade, enforce immigration laws and protect Kenyan businesses. “However, it must do so within the Constitution and the commitments Kenya has freely undertaken as a member of the East African Community …
LSK faults Ruto on foreigners derectiveThe Standard
Audio By VocalizeCitizens of the East African Community (EAC) and Africans committed to regional integration have raised concerns about how the Kenyan government is communicating and implementing measures targeting foreign informal and small-scale traders. …
Concern raised over crackdown on foreign small-scale tradersCitizen Digital
EABC urges East African Community states to fast-track services trade liberalisation By Mary Gathu September 08, 2026 08:57 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Audio By Vocalize The East African Business Counci …
EABC urges East African Community states to fast-track services trade liberalisationKenya has been selected to host the East African Insurance Supervisors Association (EAISA) Secretariat for five years as insurance regulators from Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda work to strengthen cooperation and harmonise supervision across the region.
18 September 2026 · Capital News →
Kenya has been selected to host the East African Insurance Supervisors Association (EAISA) Secretariat for five years as insurance regulators from Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda work to strengthen cooperation and harmonise supervision across the region.
18 September 2026 · Capital News →
President Yoweri Museveni said Uganda was buying petroleum products through middlemen in Kenya before deciding to end the arrangement, citing cost and structural concerns. He said a Kenyan senator was among the first to alert him to the arrangement, prompting Uganda to pursue direct access to petroleum supplies and reduce reliance on intermediaries.
18 September 2026 · Capital News →
Tanzania has introduced mandatory travel insurance for foreign visitors entering mainland Tanzania, costing Ksh. 5,700 and valid for up to 92 days, though citizens of East African Community and Southern African Development Community states are exempt.
18 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenya is set to receive 10 specialised mother-and-child hospitals under a $35 million grant from Amsons Group. Construction has begun on the first 250-bed Level 4 hospital in Chebunyo, Bomet County, which will provide maternity, neonatal, and antenatal care services.
15 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Omar Abdulkadir Ahmedfiqi, a businessman, is campaigning as a presidential candidate in Somalia's 2027 election, positioning himself as an alternative to established political leadership. His campaign emphasises accountable governance, stronger institutions, economic development and improved public services as responses to insecurity, unemployment, corruption and weak institutions.
15 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
NACOSTI announced new research licence fees beginning October 1, 2026, with student and researcher fees increasing up to six times from their previous levels — diploma students rising from Ksh.100 to Ksh.1,000, degree-level from Ksh.100 to Ksh.2,000, Master's from Ksh.1,000 to Ksh.6,000, and PhD students from an unspecified prior amount to Ksh.10,000.
15 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Somalia's planned 2027 presidential election is shaping up as a test of the country's democratic transition, with four candidates seeking to challenge incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Businessman Omar Abdulkadir Ahmedfiqi is positioning himself as a fresh option focused on accountable governance, institutional reform, and economic development.
14 September 2026 · The Standard →
President Ruto said Kenya remains open to foreign investors and workers who comply with Kenyan laws and regulations, stating that the government has removed barriers to investment. He noted foreign direct investment had grown from $1.6 billion to $3.2 billion.
12 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula defended President William Ruto's directive for foreign nationals doing business in Kenya to regularise their status, characterizing it as enforcement of existing laws to protect local entrepreneurs. Wetang'ula said Kenya remains open to investors but requires necessary documentation, licences and permits, and clarified that the directive should not be seen as closing Kenya's doors to other Africans or EAC nationals.
12 September 2026 · Capital News →
An opinion piece argues that Kenya's Constitution extends fundamental rights protections to all persons on Kenyan soil, not only citizens. The article contends that Article 20 and Article 260 of the Constitution deliberately apply protections to "every person" rather than "every citizen," and that recent hostility toward foreigners raises constitutional concerns beyond immigration law.
11 September 2026 · The Standard →
The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition has decided to rebrand into a more inclusive opposition coalition and approved applications from political parties seeking to join, according to Azimio Secretary General Caroli Omondi. The move aims to strengthen the coalition's position ahead of the 2027 General Election.
10 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka claims President Ruto's directive against foreigners in small businesses is politically motivated, alleging the government turned against Burundian nationals after discovering some supported the opposition rather than registering as Ruto voters.
10 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called on Kenyans in neighbouring East African Community countries to comply with entry and residency laws, saying Kenya upholds mutual respect under the EAC. This follows President William Ruto's directive that foreign nationals in Kenya secure necessary documentation to operate small-scale businesses.
10 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi warned that those who threaten or interfere with foreign nationals will face the full force of the law, while reaffirming Kenya's openness to foreign traders and investors operating within the country's laws and regulations.
10 September 2026 · Capital News →
Kenya's Foreign Affairs PS hosted a U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S.-Africa Business Center delegation in Nairobi, positioning the country as a market and strategic hub for value addition and technology transfer while encouraging American businesses to use Kenya as a base for accessing East African markets.
10 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Members of the East Africa Regional Caucus have called for stronger parliamentary oversight of climate financing and environmental programmes, proposing a regional climate finance scorecard to track allocations, disbursements, expenditure, implementation and impact. The legislators also urged publication of annual public climate expenditure reports and development of emergency procurement price dashboards to strengthen transparency.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi said Kenya is enforcing immigration, work permit, registration and licensing laws rather than imposing a blanket ban on foreign nationals in small-scale trade, as announced by President Ruto on September 2 to protect vulnerable sectors and Kenyan livelihoods. The directive has triggered concern among migrant traders and reports of harassment.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
The Police Reforms Working Group Kenya has condemned President William Ruto's directive to close small businesses run by foreign nationals, saying it lacks statutory guidelines and has triggered reports of intimidation, extortion, and unlawful harassment of foreign nationals, including citizens of East African Community states.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
Nzoia governor George Natembeya has criticized President William Ruto's directive targeting foreign nationals in small-scale businesses, alleging it aims to register undocumented foreigners and enrol them as voters ahead of the General Election. The Foreign Affairs PS clarified that those with proper legal documentation won't face bans, and attributed Kenya's business climate challenges to tax pressures.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga has urged President Ruto's administration to clarify its directives on foreign nationals operating small-scale businesses in Kenya, warning that poor handling could fuel xenophobia and expose Kenyans abroad to retaliation. Kalasinga said Kenya has the right to regulate immigration and protect local traders, but enforcement must be lawful, orderly, and humane, based on individual conduct rather than nationality.
10 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President William Ruto's recent public remarks, including a directive that triggered anxiety among Burundian nationals and statements on tax thresholds for traders, have sparked confusion and forced government officials into damage-control mode.
9 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Law Society of Kenya has called on the government to review its directive affecting foreign nationals engaged in small-scale trade, warning that enforcement must comply with the Constitution and Kenya's obligations under the East African Community Treaty. The statement follows President Ruto's September 2 directive targeting foreigners in certain small-scale trade, with the government offering undocumented foreigners 90 days to regularise their status.
9 September 2026 · Capital News →
President William Ruto addressed the American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit, pitching Kenya as an investment gateway and emphasising that capital flows on clear rules, timely licensing, and contract respect rather than presidential directives alone. His remarks come amid debate over the government's approach to foreign investment, including disputes involving Tata Chemicals.
9 September 2026 · Capital News →
Kenya's Principal Secretary for MSMEs defended the EAC's free movement of people and trade, dismissing reports of an ultimatum against small-scale traders from neighbouring EAC states as propaganda. The government said Kenya remains bound by regional agreements providing for movement of people and businesses across EAC member states.
9 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President William Ruto ordered unlicensed foreign businesses to shut down by September 7, sparking panic among foreign nationals and embassy queue-ups. The government later clarified the order was not a blanket ban on foreign traders and opened temporary registration.
9 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Analysts warn that Kenya's shutdowns of small businesses operated by foreign nationals may breach its binding commitments under the East African Community's Common Market Protocol, ratified in 2010, and could trigger retaliatory measures harming Kenyan commercial interests in the region.
9 September 2026 · The Standard →
An opinion piece argues that targeting foreign nationals hawking on streets is an oversimplified response to Kenya's unemployment crisis, noting that EAC citizens have legal rights to work and trade under the Common Market framework, and that the issue requires more complex solutions than simply removing foreigners from streets.
9 September 2026 · The Standard →
The Law Society of Kenya says President Ruto's directive barring foreign nationals from certain small-scale trade violates the East African Community Treaty and Kenya's Constitution, arguing that while government can regulate trade and enforce immigration laws, it must do so without discrimination based on nationality alone.
9 September 2026 · The Standard →
Citizens of the East African Community and those committed to regional integration have expressed concerns about how Kenya is communicating and implementing measures targeting foreign informal and small-scale traders, calling for enforcement to be lawful, proportionate, and non-discriminatory under Kenya's Constitution, the EAC Treaty, and the Common Market Protocol. The group welcomed a 90-day regularisation period following President Ruto's pronouncement on foreign nationals operating small businesses but described it as "a reprieve, not a remedy," citing distress already caused to foreign traders.
9 September 2026 · The Standard →
The East African Business Council has called on EAC Partner States to speed up implementation of commitments under the Common Market Protocol's Annex V, which aims to liberalise trade in seven priority sectors. The council noted that several deadlines—2010, 2013, and 2015—have passed without full implementation, and said services represent about 46 per cent of EAC GDP and more than 30 per cent of formal employment.
8 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →