NAIROBI: Burundi’s embassy in Kenya has announced arrangements for Burundian citizens wishing to return to their home country to obtain a travel document known as a laissez-passer, with the service set to begin on July 7.
The development comes days after Kenya’s President William Ruto directed that foreign nationals be removed from small-scale retail and hawking, saying such businesses should be reserved for Kenyans.
The move was welcomed by local traders who have long complained that foreign operators, particularly in informal and low-capital businesses, compete with them for customers and trading space.
The policy could, however, prove more complicated to implement as
Kenya is part of the East African Community common market, which seeks to facilitate the movement of people, labour, goods and services among member states.
The embassy said in a notice issued on Sunday that the “document would be provided to Burundian citizens who wish to travel to Burundi and do not have the necessary travel documentation.”
The service will operate at the Embassy of Burundi in Nairobi’s Kilimani area, along Denis Pritt Road, opposite Gracia Garden Hotel.
Applications and collection of the documents will be handled between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to the notice.
Applicants who arrive after the 2 p.m. deadline without submitting the required documents or collecting their laissez-passer will have to return the following day, the embassy said.
The embassy also asked applicants to collect documents the day after submitting their applications, saying this would help officials process requests more efficiently.
The notice, signed on behalf of the Embassy of Burundi in Kenya and dated July 5, did not specify the number of documents expected to be issued or the specific requirements applicants must present.
A laissez-passer is generally used as an emergency or temporary travel document for citizens who cannot use a regular passport.
Ruto’s new orders could also raise questions about how authorities will distinguish between protected small-scale activities and larger businesses legitimately operated by foreign investors, and how enforcement will be carried out without disrupting established supply chains.
