Tanzania agrees to process Burundians stranded at borders
National
By
Anne Atieno
| Sep 12, 2026
Tanzania has agreed to help process and transport Burundi nationals seeking to return to their country, easing delays at the Kenya-Tanzania border in Migori County, authorities have said.
Migori County Commissioner Kisilu Mutua the challenge at the borders was shortage of buses rather than a breakdown in coordination between Kenya and its neighbours.
“We have a very good understanding with our neighbours. Anybody who is documented did not have a lot of problems. The undocumented are the ones affected,” Mr Mutua said.
he said the number of buses available to transport the Burundi nationals has varied in recent days. Three buses moved about 121 Burundian on Tuesday, while only one bus was available on Wednesday.
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Mutua said the transport arrangement at the Migori border differs from that at the Busia-Malaba crossing, where buses can travel through Uganda.
“At Migori, Kenyan buses transport the returnees to the border, where Tanzanian buses take over and continue the journey,” Mutua stated.
He estimated that about 490 documented and 400 undocumented Burundi nationals were involved in the process.
A spot check by The Standard revealed that about 20 Burundians had been directed to sit in a tent set aside as a holding place as they waited for a bus to transport them to their country.
Long queues were formed at the Tanzania border post’s immigration offices where Burundians sought to be processed. The Burundians had their travelling bags while others had carried mattresses.
“When there are no buses, we set aside a place where they could stay as they waited,” Mutua said, emphasising that those waiting for transport were not left without accommodation.
The situation has since improved after the Tanzanian government agreed to process the returnees and provide buses to transport them from the border.
“Currently, the government of Tanzania has agreed to process them. They carry them with their buses and drop them at their border. That has really helped,” Mutua said.
He added that bureaucratic procedures had been reduced, allowing Burundians who wished to return home to do so more easily. The returnees are responsible for their transport costs, according to the commissioner.
Mutua also sought to dispel reports that the government had issued orders targeting Burundi nationals, saying the message circulating did not specifically target Burundians.
He acknowledged that some Kenyans had harassed Burundi nationals but said those involved had been arrested.
The commissioner further assured residents and foreign nationals in Migori that no one was being threatened or targeted by the government.
Mutua said the government, through the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, had given local authorities a timeline to help process the necessary documentation that allowed them to stay in the country legally.
He also denied reports that Burundi nationals had been arrested at the border on Monday, saying there had been no such arrests and no instructions to that effect.