Kenya has introduced work permit requirements for foreigners and issued deterrent legal measure to those found engaging aliens without requisite documents.
The new requirement, which seems to target Tanzanians in retaliation for what Kenyans living in the country underwent in early March, started in Namanga on Wednesday.
Yesterday, Kajiado county commissioner Harsama Kello said any foreigner entering the country must pass through immigration offices at the border. The new requirement does not differentiate between EAC nationals and citizens of countries outside the region.
“This is not a new law, it has been there and we now want to enforce it. We have been lenient with our neighbours because of the cohesion that has been in existence until they [Tanzania] decided to kick our people out,” Kello said on the phone.
The decision to enforce the law was agreed upon by the government after President John Magufuli threw out Kenyans working and doing businesses in March, this year, on claims they did not have legal documents.
Kello said Kenya will not arrest Tanzanians working in the country, but has given them one week to obtain
passports, work permits and residential permits as specified by the law.
The week ended yesterday and the police have been instructed to take action against those found to have broken the law.
Kello said employers found to have engaged the services of foreigners without requisite documents will be fined Sh5 million.
He said while Tanzania is charging East African residents Sh60,000 for work permits, Kenya will issue them free.
It is estimated there are more than 500,000 Tanzanians living and working in Kenya, including those in the
embassy.
The county commissioner said most businesses in Namanga town are owned by Tanzanians, who have occupied 80 per cent of the market stalls, bars, hotel jobs, beer outlets, petrol stations and foreign exchange bureaus.
Namanga divisional assistant county commissioner, Alex Mutua, said by Wednesday evening all foreigners working as bartenders in the town had crossed over to Tanzania after their employers ‘released’ them for fear of punishment.
“Today, our police officers, immigration officials and Nyumba Kumi ambassadors will be moving from door-to-door in search of foreigners.”