BY: Frank Abura
On September 8, 2026, an X account, @TWIRWANEHOMOI, claimed that Kenyans were demonstrating against xenophobia in Kenya. The post, which had garnered more than 611,000 views, 2,600 likes and 639 reposts at the time of the screenshot, was accompanied by a 30-second video showing a large crowd gathered outdoors, with some people standing on top of a vehicle.
Background
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. The directive 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. The government also said it had “zero tolerance” for harassment, intimidation or xenophobia.
Concerns about xenophobia nevertheless 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.
Verification
A reverse image search of key frames from 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. The note states that “This video was taken during the GenZ anti-Finance Bill in Kenya,” contradicting the post’s claim that the footage shows Kenyans demonstrating against xenophobia.
There is no evidence of a protest of this scale taking place in Kenya in 2026 against xenophobia or migrant traders. While there was significant criticism of xenophobia and some calls for demonstrations, the video being shared as evidence of such a protest is actually from the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Verdict.
The claim that this video shows Kenyans demonstrating against xenophobia in Kenya is FALSE.
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