NAIROBI – Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs H.E. Dr Musalia Mudavadi has clarified Kenya’s position on the recent measures affecting small-scale trade and informal retail.

Mudavadi described Kenya’s approach as regulatory rather than discriminatory and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and businesses of foreign nationals.

Importantly, he stressed that Kenya was not implementing a blanket ban on foreign nationals engaging in small-scale business.

“Kenya is open to small and large-scale trade by foreign nationals, as long as they are compliant with immigration, work-permit, registration and licensing requirements,” he said.

PCS said the directives announced by President William Ruto on September 2 were intended to protect vulnerable sectors of the economy, promote fair competition and safeguard the livelihoods of Kenyan citizens.

PCS said regional integration was at the heart of Kenya’s diplomacy.

Mudavadi reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the African Union, East African Community, IGAD, ICGLR and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

He said regional integration remained a cornerstone of Kenya’s foreign policy, with the country preparing to host the 4th COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Summit in Nairobi.

The three regional blocs bring together 29 countries, more than 700 million people and a combined GDP exceeding US$1.4 trillion.

Mudavadi said Kenya’s ambition was to see an Africa where African goods are produced on the continent, traded across African markets and increasingly consumed within Africa.

He also announced Kenya’s increased commitment to the African Union through its voluntary move to Tier One of the AU scale of assessment, with its annual contribution expected to rise to approximately US$14.6 million from 2027.