Yet observers and those affected argue that it did not have to be this way.
Academic Hesbon Owilla told the BBC the president’s comments were bound to be misinterpreted, especially by people who did not have the right documentation.
He says that while the proposed policy is good for Kenya and in line with global migration protocols, the communication about it ought to have been more diplomatic.
For those not in the audience, Owilla says people interpreted the president words as saying: “We are kicking these guys out.”
The president did not stop at small-scale traders. A day later, he ordered India’s Tata Chemicals to leave the country, saying the company had not provided sufficient benefits to the local Maasai community in Kajiado county.
Tata has been mining soda ash for years in Lake Magadi, a vast area often covered by a whitish salt crust. The lake’s extreme briny environment sustains algae blooms that attract flamboyances of pink flamingos that thrive in the area.
Mining operations began at the lake in 1911 under a British colonial arrangement that is said to have remained largely intact, despite long-running land and resource disputes pitting the company and its predecessors against community and the government.
Economist Odhiambo Ramogi argues that the move to restrict foreign nationals from businesses is too broad – and could do with finessing.
He points out that Kenya hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees as well as other migrants, mostly from the EAC region, as well as other international investors.
Ramogi says that Ruto’s intention seemed to go beyond “just protecting jobs for Kenyans”.
The president’s remarks have prompted a wave of support for foreign nationals, including by civil society groups and ordinary Kenyans who have criticised his approach.
In the wake of the criticism, Ruto, who is up for re-election next year, has sought to counter the backlash.
“Kenya will remain an open, secure and welcoming country, protecting opportunities for its citizens, safeguarding the rights of all persons lawfully within its borders,” a statement by his spokesman said.
“Kenya’s commitment to the East African Community of the African continent remains firm.”
Ramogi says that in the end, it is Kenya that stands to lose when citizens of neighbouring countries are targeted.
He points out that Kenya earned $56m (£41m) in exports to Burundi last year, adding that the country would still benefit by allowing competition, as “locking out aliens simply means you don’t want a competitive economy that gets to grow a lot faster”.
“Now, if you got $56m out of a country, why are you worried about a hawker who’s just trying to make, say, $200 in a month?
“It absolutely makes no sense what the president has done.”
For Nairobi resident Lima Kabura, whose husband is Tanzanian, the president’s remarks were just too hasty. She says he should have first established those who were in the country illegally.
“When they are forced out, I’m left with no work, no business and no husband,” she said.
Additional reporting by Ahmed Bahajj
