On September 8, 2026, a social media post claimed that Kenyans were demonstrating against xenophobia in Kenya, accompanied by a 30-second video showing a large crowd gathered outdoors. The post had garnered significant attention, with over 611,000 views, 2,600 likes, and 639 reposts at the time of the screenshot. However, a reverse image search revealed that the footage was not related to the claimed protest.
The claim emerged amid growing concerns over the treatment of foreign nationals in Kenya following government directives targeting foreigners engaged in small-scale trade. On September 2, 2026, President William Ruto directed authorities to address foreign nationals operating small businesses, saying some trading activities should be reserved for Kenyan citizens. This move triggered concern among migrant communities and civil society groups over possible discrimination and harassment.
The situation particularly affected nationals from neighbouring East African countries, including Burundi. On September 7, hundreds of Burundians gathered outside their embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents amid fears of a crackdown. The Kenyan government subsequently announced a temporary amnesty and said the measures were intended to regularise undocumented foreign nationals rather than target them because of their nationality.
Despite the government's assurance, concerns about xenophobia continued. On September 7, civil society groups announced plans for demonstrations in Nairobi against what they described as xenophobia and discrimination against African migrants. The groups said they had documented alleged physical, verbal, online and political attacks targeting foreign nationals.
There were also reports of alleged harassment targeting foreign nationals. On September 9, police said six people had been arrested over alleged harassment and remarks targeting Burundian nationals, Tanzanian Maasai and Chinese traders. The arrests came as authorities warned Kenyans against using the government’s directive on foreign traders to justify harassment or incitement.
A thorough verification of the video found that the footage was previously published in connection with the June 25, 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests in Kenya. The post was also flagged with an X Community Note stating that the video was taken during the GenZ anti-Finance Bill protests, contradicting the post’s claim that the footage shows Kenyans demonstrating against xenophobia.
In conclusion, there is no evidence of a protest of this scale taking place in Kenya in 2026 against xenophobia or migrant traders. The claim that this video shows Kenyans demonstrating against xenophobia in Kenya is false. The government has maintained that it has “zero tolerance” for harassment, intimidation or xenophobia, but the video being shared as evidence of such a protest is actually from the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Key points
- The video claiming to show Kenyans protesting xenophobia is actually from the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
- The Kenyan government has announced a temporary amnesty for undocumented foreign nationals.
- Concerns about xenophobia and harassment of foreign nationals continue despite government assurances.
