Kenya's President William Ruto has ordered a crackdown on small businesses run by foreign nationals, a move that has drawn criticism from a prominent watchdog group concerned about potential human rights abuses and regional integration.

• The Police Reforms Working Group Kenya condemned the directive, citing reports of intimidation, profiling, extortion, and unlawful harassment of foreign traders, particularly from East African Community states.
• The crackdown, initiated on September 2 and enforced from September 7, aims to protect local businesses from unfair competition.
• The watchdog group warned that the directive, lacking clear statutory backing, risks violating Kenyan constitutional articles and undermining the EAC Common Market Protocol, which guarantees free movement and establishment for citizens of partner states.