Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has moved to address concerns raised by the undocumented foreigners living in Nakuru over the 90-day amnesty period.

The group had raised their apprehension over the 90-day grace period issued by the Kenyan government to regularize their status which they said was too short

Mudavadi however, clarified that foreigners who wish to lawfully reside, work, trade, invest or conduct other permitted activities in the country can apply for a Class R Permit through the Government's electronic Foreign Nationals Services (eFNS) portal.

He further cautioned the EAC nationals against paying money for the Class R Permit confirming that the Official Directorate of Immigration Services confirmed that both the processing fee and issuance fee for the Class R Permit are Sh 0.

“The Government has made the permit free. All applicants will require a valid passport and prescribed supporting documentation, including a cover letter explaining their activities. Applicants should use the official eFNS and eCitizen platforms and deal directly with the Directorate of Immigration Services,” Mudavadi noted

The foreigners in Nakuru had raised fears that the time will not be enough for them to raise money for the process or for some, to return home.

In Bondeni, migrants from Rwanda and Burundi say they are now afraid to leave their homes to hawk crisps, mandazi and coffee jobs that have long been their main source of income.

Iradukunda Samson, a Burundian national, says their fear stems from reports of East Africans being mistreated in other parts of the country, and some say customers have begun taking goods without paying, claiming the vendors are not Kenyan.

Iradukunda Samson, a Burundian national in Kenya says business is poor following the kenyan government directives for undocumented foreigners to go back to their nations.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/ MTAA WANGU

“At times you get into the streets and sell kahawa kwa ndazi to a customer. However, they end up not paying you claiming you are not Kenyan and you should go back home as per directives issued by the Kenyan Government,” Iradukunda notes.

The 21-year-old says he arrived in Kenya in 2024 with help from a fellow Burundian and, despite early language struggles, he built a modest livelihood earning around Sh500 on a good day. This he says is split between rent, food and supporting his family back home.

He notes that the shared rent between his three brothers, where they pay sh9,000 will now be hard to raise with the current situation going on.

Since the directive was announced, Iradukunda has largely stayed off the streets after a fellow trader was attacked, though he insists he is willing to obtain the correct work documents. He says he cannot afford the roughly Sh20,000 needed to return to Burundi.

In the same neighborhood, Rwandan trader Uragiwenimama Jeondodieu, known as John, runs a kiosk with his Kenyan wife. He has lived and worked in several counties since arriving in 2015 before settling in Nakuru in 2019, where he met his wife and they are raising a child together.

He says he only learned of the directive last week and is now appealing to lobby groups for help navigating the 90-day window.

Rwandan trader Uragiwenimama Jeondodieu, says the 90 day grace period to settle their documents is too short as they are in a race against time to get money to get proper documentation

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/ MTAA WANGU

Like Uragiwenimama , Sezerano Beny Gloria Rwanda National too has children with a Kenyan Father, she is now torn between leaving them behind with their father or taking them home with her and separating them for their dad.

"I have been married to my husband for seven years. How to I pack and live and how do I restart life at home after being away for so long and now going back with children,2" the mother of two questioned

Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara said no crackdown has been conducted and that the government will determine its next steps only after the 90-day period elapses.

“The government has given directives on what should be done. For now, we are working the stipulated time given for those pending completion of the documentation process to do so,” Kibaara noted.

90‑Day Amnesty: Mudavadi reassures Burundi, Rwanda nationals in Nakuru

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