Restaurant in Kenya banned black Africans after 5pm - closed down by Kenyan government

Amidst a wide spectrum of stories about racism and other forms of discrimination, this one seems to me particularly unusual.

Link

The rule at the creatively-named Chinese Restaurant in Nairobi was simple: after 5pm, no black Africans could enter the premises. Since the Daily Nation newspaper first reported this shocking story on Monday, Kenyans have taken to social media to express their outrage. Much of the anger has been directed at Kenya’s rapidly growing Chinese community.

Esther Zhao, a manager with the Chinese Restaurant, said that the measure had been taken for security reasons, especially after the dining establishment was held up by armed robbers in 2013. She also mentioned rising terrorist threats in the capital.

“We don’t admit Africans that we don’t know because you never know who is Al-Shabaab and who isn’t,” Zhao told the Nairobi News. “It is not like it is written on somebody’s face that they are a thug armed with a gun.”

Zhao also said that the restaurant’s primarily Chinese clientele (the menus are written exclusively in Chinese) felt “more comfortable” without Africans.

The question obviously springs to mind. Why live in a country, if the natives make you feel uncomfortable? Ah, yes, you want to do BUSINESS with them. You want to do business with THEM?

There is a follow-up.

Chinese Restaurant owner in Kenya arrested after "no blacks" uproar

(CNN)The owner of a Chinese restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya has been arrested following an uproar over its policy of banning African customers at night, according to reports.

Owner Zhao Yang was arrested for operating a restaurant without a valid license shortly after local press ran a story alleging that Kenyan reporters were turned away from the restaurant -- for being African.

Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper carried a story Monday that its reporters had been barred entry to the restaurant, being told by a guard at the entrance that "the time for Africans is over" when the journalists arrived at 7 p.m.

Only locals accompanied by Chinese, European or Indian patrons would be admitted, the newspaper reported.

The reason for the measure is given as....

"Because of the concern of the business environment at night and the bad memory of (a robbery in) 2013, we adopted certain measures. Unfortunately, some of the measures were inappropriate, we sincerely apologize for this," the management said in a statement.

China is the largest outside investor in African economies but resentment against Chinese in Kenya and other African nations is significant as many Africans often regard Chinese businesses as, in the words of one Chinese journalist, "resource predators" or "environmental vandals."

One Kenyan reporter commenting on the restaurant's ban likened the policy to a new form of colonialism in Africa.

But, one could obviously ask on a greater scale, who are the real robbers.

Thoughts, anyone?

a reply to: meridie

There must have been a misunderstanding. The Restaurant owner isn't white, so therefore can not be racist.

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

Boy, does this type of response with no actual substance get tiresome.

Back on topic: I find it rather naive and morbidly funny that the owners think that banning blacks after 5 pm will stop robberies or terror attacks. Pretty sure robbers or terrorists will not stop just because a sign or single guard says they cannot enter.

a reply to: InvisibleOwl

Boy, does this type of response with no actual substance get tiresome.

But they gets stars from the other regressives and that's what really matters isn't it?

a reply to: meridie

So... Let me get this absolutely straight.

A Chinese business opens up in Kenya, and then, because they happen to have been robbed by someone who happens to be African, they ban people FROM THE REGION THE BUSINESS IS IN, from entering the premises after five in the evening?

That is UTTERLY idiotic!

That would be precisely as stupid, as a Turkish organisation starting a kebab shop in a British town, and banning all "white" people after five in the evening, having been robbed by a couple of white guys! Its NONSENSE! And as for that twaddle they were waffling, about how it is impossible to tell which black Africans are, and are not in Al Shabbab.... Yes, that's true. It is impossible to tell. However, assuming the worst, and banning people indigenous to the region which happens to host your enterprise, from the premises of the business itself, is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable, and unsupportable!

Every business in Kenya, aside from those run by fundamentalist nutcases, is going to be under the gun, every business person who has been the victim of a crime is going to be worried about the safety of their staff, and indeed the business itself in the future. However, community is about being prepared to weather the same storm as ones neighbours. The fact is, that everyone in the whole of Kenya, who does not happen to be Muslim, is under threat from terrorism. The fact is, that all law abiding citizens are under threat from thugs with guns.

The failure here, seems to have been in the reaction to the threat, and the nature of it. What these business owners need to understand, is that they have no right to bar people from entering their place of business, based on their skin colour! They can ban a person from their premises because they have behaved badly as individuals, but they have no right to ban an entire ethnic group, just because people who bare the SMALLEST possible resemblance to them by way of skin colour once robbed the joint. That is discrimination which, given the location in which this is playing out, beggars belief!

a reply to: InvisibleOwl

I agree it is pretty stupid... a terrorist or robber isn'rt going to check on their watch if its gone past 5 yet or are they not going to attack a restaurant before 5pm??

I can just see the conversation between two guys fighting for shaabaab:

'Hey, what time is it?'

'It's 3:30pm'

'Do you think we should enter the restaurant before 5pm?'

'Hmmm, I dunno man, if we wait till 5pm, we may not be allowed in'

'Then we should enter now'

'Yes, lets enter now'

a reply to: meridie

China and Africa have always had strong ties. I wonder how this new development will change that relationship?

a reply to: meridie

Looks like there was a lot more than just racism involved in shutting this restaurant down:

As if the allegations of racism were not enough, inspectors found that the Chinese restaurant was operating without numerous licenses and in violation of health codes. The Nairobi County government announced Tuesday that the restaurant would be closed, but not before NTV reporter Dennis Okari found some gross-looking dog legs in the kitchen.

Okari also spoke to restaurant staff who alleged that the restaurant also rented rooms to clients for quick sex romps.

There are some significant security issues in Nairobi, however. Just today there's this:
news.yahoo.com...

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Al-Shabab gunmen stormed a university in northeastern Kenya at dawn Thursday, killing more than 70 people in the group's bloodiest attack in the East African country, officials said. Four of the gunmen were killed by security forces.

Obviously the restaurant's policy was not going to mitigate attacks such as this, but it does appear that the community there has things much more serious than a single restaurant being racist to deal with.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

So their ridiculous, barely veiled racism led to other things that get them shut down. I love it

a reply to: TrueBrit

That's pretty much what it is. Baffling and idiotic.

a reply to: lostbook

Kenya's relationship with China seems to be a lot more interesting, once you look a little further. This opinion piece seems to plead for tolerance and balance. Link

But, I also came across something equally puzzling.... Why are Chinese artists represenging Kenya at the Venice Biennale?

About 50 other countries have applied for their own exhibition space, called a pavilion. The East African country of Kenya hosted its first pavilion in 2013 and plans to host another this year, featuring mainly Chinese nationals. None of them have apparently ever been to Africa or reference it in their work.

The controversial roster — including contemporary artists Qin Feng, Shi Jinsong, Li Zhanyang, Lan Zheng Hui, Li Gang, and others — has provoked outrage among Kenyan bloggers and artists. It's also provoked a sense of deja vu — the same thing happened in 2013. Kenya's first-ever pavilion was also overwhelmingly Chinese.

It seems that much of what this old world is all about is either arguing for the removal of boundaries or the reinstatement of them. Boundaries can be uncomfortable. But so can their removal. And the quest for balance is never easy.

Good.

Funny enough, I was on an international ex-pats forum, and I remember reading one particularly vivid and angry rant by a gentleman from Ghana about how racist the Chinese were, and how he hated his time in China. I won't go into details, but he wasn't alone. Only two Africans had anything positive to report about their experiences in China. And my own observations and experiences confirm much of what they say. There is a a lot of racism in Chinese culture, especially towards Black Africans.

But it takes a special kind of gall to actually open a restaurant in a foreign land, then ban the natives from it. I'm glad they closed this down. Even Chinese nationals in China treat the Africans with contempt and indifference. I'd like to see more African nations start standing up to these sorts of insults from ALL foreigners who work or do business there, regardless of country, instead of looking the other way while said foreigners rape your resources for a fraction of what they are worth.

Good on you, Kenya.

originally posted by: InvisibleOwl
a reply to: PsychoEmperor

Boy, does this type of response with no actual substance get tiresome.

Back on topic: I find it rather naive and morbidly funny that the owners think that banning blacks after 5 pm will stop robberies or terror attacks. Pretty sure robbers or terrorists will not stop just because a sign or single guard says they cannot enter.

Pretty sure robbers or terrorists here in the US are not going to stop using guns if they are illegal because a law or sign says they cannot.

This, however does not stop Liberals from trying.

The same exact thing can be said for the immigrants who come to American schools to get educated and then demand they don't fly the American flag, but there is a deafening lack of outrage about that.

Liberal Hypocrisy at its finest.

wow I had no idea there was a large Chinese presence in Kenya, aint that something.

originally posted by: Stormdancer777
wow I had no idea there was a large Chinese presence in Kenya, aint that something.

HAve to put the over flow somewhere so why not colonize africa?