Cofek wants Italian restaurant's licence revoked

The Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) wants the licence of an Italian restaurant in Nairobi’s Karen Hub mall revoked after Kenya Wildlife Service chairman Richard Leakey accused the establishment of harassing him.

The organisation's secretary-general Stephen Mutoro on Wednesday said the La Cascina restaurant staff’s instruction to Dr Leakey to fetch drinking water from the toilet amounted to harassment.

Dr Leakey had gone to La Cascina with his wife. After ordering pizza, they asked to be served with tap water. Dr Leakey alleged that a waiter told him they only serve bottled water and after insisting, he was told to fetch the water from the toilet.

“A high probability is that perhaps the manhandling would have been worse were he not a Kenyan of British origin,” said Mr Mutoro, adding: “If they can treat Dr Leakey in such a manner, with how much more discrimination can they treat a local Kenyan?”

On Wednesday, police dispersed a group of about 30 people who had gathered outside La Cascina for a peaceful demonstration against the eatery.

Mr Mutoro accused the police of working in cahoots with the restaurant to prevent the protest.

Karen OCPD Suiyanka Cunningham said the hotel was under a security threat and police could not allow anyone to hold protests in the building.

“If they want to demonstrate, they should do so outside the hotel,” he said. “Fighting for your rights does not mean we allow anyone to infringe on other people’s rights.”

Cofek is accusing the restaurant of underestimating the loss, injury and damage they caused Dr Leakey by terming it a “minor altercation”.