Ruto is becoming so unpopular that he now appears to be searching for easier people to blame, and Burundians have suddenly become convenient targets for a government that has failed to create enough jobs for Kenyans.
A Burundian doing mjengo, selling coffee, washing cars, working in a hotel or taking a low paying job is not the reason millions of Kenyans are struggling, and pretending otherwise is just lazy politics meant to redirect anger away from the people actually running the country.
Kenyans are everywhere in the world doing exactly the same thing, taking jobs in America, Europe, the Gulf, South Africa, Australia and other countries, yet Ruto now wants Kenyans to behave as if migration only becomes a problem when the immigrant is poor and African.
If Ruto thinks chasing Burundians from small jobs and businesses will suddenly make Kenyans forget taxes, unemployment, corruption, collapsing purchasing power and the cost of living, then his political advisers are badly misreading the mood of the country.
No Kenyan who has spent three years complaining about this government will suddenly wake up and vote for Ruto because a Burundian mason, waiter or shopkeeper has been chased away, because people already know who controls the economy and who has been making the decisions hurting them.
Burundians did not introduce these taxes, Burundians did not create this unemployment crisis, Burundians did not borrow these billions, and Burundians are certainly not the reason Ruto has become deeply unpopular.
Kenya should be very careful with this nonsense, because xenophobia usually begins with politicians telling frustrated citizens that foreigners are stealing their opportunities, then the anger grows until innocent people who came here simply looking for work become targets.
Ruto can campaign against Burundians from now until 2027 if he wants, but xenophobia will not manufacture votes, and blaming poorer Africans will not erase the record Kenyans will actually judge when they enter the polling booth.