A Chinese chef is under fire and has been arrested after a disturbing video surfaced of him brutally caning one of his Kenyan workers at a restaurant in Nairobi.
A video on K24 TV that went viral apparently depicts chef Deng Hailan handing down back lashes on Kenyan man Simon Oseko, a waiter at Chez Wou restaurant, for being late to work. The worker was allegedly given an option to pay up for being late or take the beating.
The alleged mistreatment sheds light on what some say is a deep-rooted trend of mistreatment of Kenyan citizens by Chinese bosses that mirrors the slave experience.
After an investigation, three other Chinese nationals were arrested on Feb. 9 for illegally working at the restaurant, according to statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
“They managed to arrest the perpetrator, one Deng Hailan, a Chinese National who works at the hotel as a chef but doesn’t have a work permit. Also arrested were two other chefs Chang Yueping & Ou Qiang who hold expired Visas. Chang holds a work permit but his compatriot doesn’t,” said DCI in a statement on Sunday.
Additionally, a cashier, also without a work permit but holding a visitor visa, was arrested as well.
Hailan was set to be arraigned on Monday, according to his attorney Dennis Onyango. The Chinese nationals will be charged with assault causing bodily harm, according to the outlet.
According to reports, the incident occurred in the Kileleshwa area in Nairobi at the Chez Wou restaurant and the victim, Oseko, also does not have a work permit. He was fired from his job before the video surfaced but said in the video that the beating practice was commonplace.
In another video, the owner of the restaurant alluded to blaming the victim for his beating.
Oseko gave a statement to police, and the Chinese Embassy in Kenya urged a full investigation into the matter.
The caught-on-camera beating also opened a broader investigation into the inhumane treatment of other African workers. In fact, eight other Kenyans who work at the restaurant gave statements to the Kilimani Police, Pulse live reports.
Racist vitriol against Kenyans by Chinese has found its way into the headlines previously.
In September 2018, Liu Jiaqi, a Chinese man doing business in Kenya, called Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta a monkey in a video filmed by a coworker. He was arrested and deported after his racist remarks were shared widely on social media.
“Everyone, every Kenyan… like a monkey, even [Kenyan President] Uhuru Kenyatta. All of them,” the video depicts him saying.
