The Central Organisation of Trade Unions, Kenya (COTU-K), has called for the deportation of the Chinese national who was caught on video in a physical altercation with a Kenyan employee.
In a statement on Sunday, November 16, COTU accused the Chinese national of gross violation of the rights and dignity of the Kenyans in the video, as the union called on authorities to launch a crackdown on rogue foreign workers misusing their authority.
"COTU is deeply concerned by the prevalent cases of abuse of Kenyan workers by foreign investors," a statement from the union said.
"We will not stand and watch the dignity of Kenyan workers violated by some rogue Chinese employers operating within our borders."
A video that has since gone viral on social media showed the Chinese national assaulting the Kenyan employee, who does his best to exercise restraint.
Despite consistent physical provocations from the Chinese national, the worker does little to retaliate, while a voice in the background urges him to fight back.
In the wake of the incident, it has since been revealed that the worker and the Chinese national had made peace, but online users read malice in the reconciliation.
The union flagged another separate incident where a Chinese worker was seen forcing Kenyan subordinates to sing native Chinese songs while at work.
For this incident, COTU flagged the rogue Chinese manager by name, passport number and KRA pin, accusing him of subjecting Kenyan workers to long working hours with minimal pay.
Besides deportation, COTU further called on the Ministry of Interior to strengthen monitoring of firms managed by foreign nationals.
"We urge the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, to strengthen monitoring, compliance and enforcement measures relating to enterprises run by foreign nationals," the statement went on.
Among those who took issue with the matter was Geoffrey Mosiria, the Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment, who called on people who had videos of foreigners bullying to share them.
He noted that Kenya has given leeway to many foreign bullies, citing a recent case in Diani when a Dutch national harassed a police officer, even though the same could not be said of how Kenyans are treated abroad.
