Kenyan authorities moved quickly on Sunday to arrest four Chinese nationals who were allegedly involved in the beating of a local Kenyan employee at Chez Wuo, a hotel restaurant in Nairobi. Bystanders captured the caning by one of the Chinese men on a video and then posted it to the internet. That video went viral very quickly and sparked widespread outrage.
The video was reportedly shot sometime last week.
WARNING: Please be advised that some viewers may find this video to be disturbing. Please use your discretion when viewing.
The assailant, Deng Hailan (right) will reportedly be arraigned and then promptly deported back to China, according to The Standard.
Updates on the Case From Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations:
- KEY SUSPECT: The alleged perpetrator, Deng, worked as a chef at the hotel but did not have a work permit.
- OTHER ARRESTS: Three other Chinese nationals, two other chefs and a cashier were also arrested. Two of the three lacked work permits. Eight Kenyan employees at the hotel were also taken in for questioning.
Chinese Embassy in Nairobi Moves Quickly to Denounce Beating
The Chinese embassy in Nairobi moved very quickly on Saturday to offer assistance to Kenyan law enforcement in the case against the Chinese chef who purportedly appeared in a viral video last week beating a local employee for allegedly arriving late for work.
The embassy’s statement that Chinese nationals who violate local laws should be held accountable is consistent with China’s longstanding position that expatriates should not receive any preferential treatment from local law enforcement or expect any support from the embassy.
The embassy’s comments on Twitter did little, though, to assuage hundreds of commentators who voiced their frustration about the Chinese presence in Kenya and perceptions of persistent anti-black racism by Chinese nationals.
Chinese embassies in Africa tend to regard these cases as major distractions and a setback to their efforts to dispel widely-held perceptions in many African communities that Chinese nationals are racist or otherwise disrespectful towards local populations.
ARCHIVES: PREVIOUS CHINESE RACIST INCIDENTS IN KENYA:
- SEPTEMBER 2018: Kenya deports Chinese man over ‘racist rant’
- JULY 2018: SGR Employees Expose Shocking Racist Actions by Chinese Bosses
- MARCH 2015: Kenyan restaurant bans black Africans after 5pm
