Lobby seeks to end rift over Chinese restaurant

The Chinese Restaurant in Nairobi that was closed by county authorities on March 24, 2015. Owners of restaurants that specialise in Chinese food say business has gone down since a hotel was exposed for discriminating against blacks. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL |

What you need to know:

  • The China-Africa Friendship Association (Kenya) Chapter said it was deeply concerned by events that took place at the Chongqing restaurant

An organisation that promotes better relations between China and Kenya has moved to end the rift created after a Chinese restaurant locked out Africans from its premises.

The China-Africa Friendship Association (Kenya) Chapter said it was deeply concerned by events that took place at the Chongqing restaurant, where Kenyans were denied entry into the hotel after 5 p.m., over alleged security concerns, saying it was likely to affect relations between the two countries and their people.

CAFA-K condemned the racism stance by the management of the restaurant and the vandalism that took place at the restaurant on Friday.

“We take great exception to both the displeasing conduct and attitude attributed to the management of the now closed Chongqing restaurant as well as the acts of the vandals who looted the premises,” CAFA-K said in a statement.

The statement, signed by its secretary, called for action by the police to prevent such incidents, so as to avoid souring relations with the Chinese, whose population is gradually increasing owing to the increasing number of projects they are undertaking.

The organisation said it had signed a dozen memorandum of understanding (MoU) articles with various organisations in China for individuals and groups in Kenya and China interested in pursuing business and other mutually beneficial areas of interest.

The spat between the Chinese restaurant and Kenyan clients threatened to sour relations between the two countries. Kenyans took to social media to express their anger at being banned using the hashtags #RacistRestaurant, #NoBlacksHere and #TheChineseInvasion.