He had said this during the election campaign referring especially to the Chinese and all foreigners who 'have activities that Kenyan citizens could easily have', now that he has officially become president, William Ruto reiterated in an interview with the American television station CNN that he will expel from the country all foreigners who work or earn money without complying with the country's laws.
'This is not a threat, we don't want to lump everything together and this is not just aimed at the Chinese,' Ruto said, 'my administration will deal with all foreigners doing business illegally in our country. Anyone can do business in any field as long as they do it within the law. Anyone operating outside the law, no matter where they come from, will be sent back to where they came from'.
In the crosshairs of the new government, in all likelihood, small businesses and individual jobs or tasks that can be done by Kenyans will come into the mix. But also unregistered companies, fictitious permits and other irregularities that Kenya, already with the process of digitising bureaucracy and documents, which began when Ruto worked as vice-president closely with Uhuru Kenyatta, has already learnt to live with and which are providing an important first deterrent against corruption and malpractices.
"I am very clear that we respect everybody and what they believe in, but we also have what we believe in and we expect to be respected for what we believe in," Ruto specified.