Kidum Offers Transport to Burundians Seeking to Return Home Amid Trader Crackdown

Burundian musician Kidum has offered to provide transport to Burundians in Kenya who may wish to return home amid concerns over the ongoing crackdown on foreign small-scale traders.

In a statement on Monday, September 7, he reflected on his personal connection to Kenya, saying he has lived in the country since 1995 and considers himself Kenyan at heart. 

He also noted that his wife is Kenyan and that their children are currently schooling in Kenya.

"I am Burundian! I am currently on tour in Canada. Kenya has been my home since 1995, and I chose to be Kenyan with all my heart. My wife is Kenyan, we are legally married, and we have children who are in school in Kenya," he wrote.

Kidum said the situation in Nairobi had left him concerned, particularly over the treatment of Burundian and Rwandan nationals involved in small-scale businesses. 

He questioned whether selling basic food and beverages could be considered a crime.

"The pictures I am receiving from Nairobi are not good at all. What have Burundians and Rwandans done to be treated this way? Is selling mandazi and tea or coffee a crime?" he asked.

Kidum also appealed to the Burundian embassy to intervene and ensure that Burundians who wish to leave Kenya can do so safely and with dignity. 

He offered his own 11-seater van to assist those seeking transport back home.

"Our embassy! Could you at least stand up for our people and ensure that they have a peaceful way to return home with dignity? I have an 11-seater van, and I am ready to make it available to anyone who needs it to take people home," he further said.

At the same time, Kidum urged Burundians in Burundi not to retaliate against Kenyans living or travelling in the country. 

He called for restraint and said the dispute should be addressed through political channels rather than through actions against ordinary citizens.

"Burundians in Burundi, do not touch any Kenyan in Burundi. Do not do wrong simply because others are doing bad things to you. Two wrongs never make a right. Keep Kenyans safe in Burundi. This is political, and it shall be solved politically," he concluded.

At the same time, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka condemned the government over a declaration of a crackdown on foreigners running small-scale businesses in the country.

In a statement on Monday, he said the announcement has left Burundians scrambling for safety at their Embassy in Nairobi, which negatively affects Kenya's diplomatic relations with its neighbours.

"A lack of diplomacy risks deepening divisions between communities, regions, and nations and destabilising economic activity at a time when Kenya can least afford it," he stated.

Kalonzo opined that the crackdown on foreigners was not the most efficient way of addressing the issues facing small Kenyan businesses, but retrogressive.

He added that the only solution was to remove the bottlenecks that undermine a favourable business environment in the country.

"The real threats facing our small traders are corruption, an unpredictable working environment including this regime's erratic tariffs and taxation policies, and the pre-election tensions being deliberately stoked by the outgoing regime, not the presence of foreign traders alone," he added.

Kalonzo called for transparency in how affected foreign nationals are processed going forward, including any documentation or status changes issued to them, so that this exercise is not later exploited for purposes that have nothing to do with trade or border management.