134 Burundians Arrested while Attempting to Enter Tanzania from Kenya
Tanzania arrests 134 Burundian nationals in Mara over unlawful entry, as Kenya’s crackdown on foreign traders sparks diplomatic protests and rights concerns.
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Tanzania has arrested 134 Burundian nationals for entering the country without following legal procedures, a development that coincides with a major immigration crackdown unfolding simultaneously in Kenya targeting foreign traders.
The Mara Regional Immigration Office told Tanzanian news outlet, Daily News, the arrests on Wednesday, confirming that officers conducted a special operation across several parts of the region to identify migrants living in the country in breach of immigration regulations.
Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Bernadetha Tyetyetye, who is heading the operation, called on officers to maintain professionalism as they intensified efforts to stem illegal immigration, describing the enforcement as essential to protecting national and community security .
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The Mara office added that patrols and operations would continue across different areas and urged residents to report anyone suspected of residing in the country unlawfully.
The Tanzanian action follows Kenya's enforcement drive, which began on Monday, September 7, after President William Ruto directed that foreign nationals engaged in hawking, small retail shops and comparable low-capital ventures must stop operating.
Kenya's Trade Ministry reinforced the directive, warning that visa-free access does not confer the right to work.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui cited what he described as a "deliberate misuse of visa applications by some visitors", noting that certain individuals had entered Kenya as investors or tourists before engaging in business activities that contradicted their declared immigration status.
The enforcement triggered visible anxiety among foreign traders in Kenyan markets, with footage circulating online appearing to show nationals from Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo departing trading areas where they had been conducting petty commerce.
Burundi's government responded sharply, condemning the treatment of its citizens and demanding that Kenyan authorities ensure their protection.
KNCHR warns Ruto's government over human rights risks in foreign trader crackdown
Foreign Affairs Minister Edouard Bizimana issued a pointed warning, stating that:
The East Africa Law Society also weighed in, cautioning that enforcement actions must target unlawful conduct rather than national origin and that "nationality should not, in itself, be treated as evidence of illegality."
The parallel crackdowns in Tanzania and Kenya have placed Burundian migrants under particular pressure across the region, raising questions about the balance between immigration compliance and the protection of East African citizens' rights under regional free movement frameworks.
Asher Omondi (Copyeditor)
Asher Omondi is currently the Head of Business Desk at TUKO.co.ke. He has over seven years of experience in digital media. Previously, he had worked in various organisations both as a social media manager and a monitor (FEMNET, Ghafla Kenya). He was a Broadcast Journalism student at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication class of 2013. You can reach Asher at asher.omondi@tuko.co.ke.