肯尼亚总统下令驱逐外国商人引发恐慌

肯尼亚总统威廉·鲁托上周发布命令，要求所有外国商人在9月7日前停止营业1。这一政策引发了外国商人的广泛恐慌，导致大量外国工人涌向边境离开肯尼亚，许多跨国家庭面临分离1。鲁托随后又下令印度塔塔化学公司撤出肯尼亚1。

面对国际社会的反应，肯尼亚政府随后澄清政策立场，给予无证外国商人90天的注册期限以实现合法化1。肯尼亚驻外交官科里·辛格欧伊本周访问了布隆迪大使馆进行道歉，并向外国人保证肯尼亚政府将保护他们免受暴力1。不过观察人士指出，总统措辞不当助长了仇外情绪1。

President William Ruto of Kenya ordered all foreign traders to cease operations by September 7, triggering panic among the foreign business community and prompting a surge of workers toward the border 1. The following day, Ruto also directed Indian chemical company Tata to leave the country 1. The sweeping directive has resulted in family separations and fears of xenophobic violence among foreign nationals operating in Kenya.

The government subsequently clarified its position, offering a 90-day registration window to allow undocumented foreign traders to legalize their status 1. However, critics argue that the president's initial inflammatory rhetoric has fueled anti-foreigner sentiment. In response, Kenya's diplomat Corey Singoei visited Burundi's embassy this week to apologize and assure protection for foreign nationals against violence 1. Kenya's annual exports to Burundi reached $56 million last year, underscoring the potential economic fallout from strained regional relations 1. With Ruto facing re-election next year, the crackdown has drawn scrutiny over both its economic implications and its impact on Kenya's international standing 1.