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The Chinese Embassy in Kenya issued a statement regarding a video of a Chinese worker assaulting a Kenyan colleague at a private company.
The embassy confirmed the company terminated the worker's contract immediately and will consider 'further disciplinary action.'
In the statement, posted on the social media platform X, the embassy said:
We have noticed a video circulating online showing a Chinese worker at a private company assaulting his Kenyan colleague. We are extremely disappointed to see such an incident occur. As we are informed, the company's management has immediately terminated the Chinese worker's contract and will consider further disciplinary action.
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The Embassy also directly addressed Chinese nationals living in Kenya:
The Embassy consistently requires Chinese citizens in Kenya to strictly abide by local laws, regulations, and cultural customs, and the vast majority of them do so. We believe this isolated incident should not affect investment cooperation between Chinese and Kenyan companies, but it is a reminder to all Chinese citizens in Kenya to uphold the principle of mutual respect with Kenyan friends and behave in accordance to the laws, regulations, and cultural customs of Kenya.
Potential penalties the man faces
Under Kenyan law, a conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, a misdemeanour, is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
Screengrab image of the Kenyan worker who was caught on camera being assaulted by his Asian employer
For a foreign national, a criminal conviction carries further consequences.
Kenyan courts can recommend the deportation of a convicted foreigner to the Cabinet Secretary responsible for immigration.
A conviction can also lead to the revocation of a work permit and designation as a prohibited immigrant, resulting in removal from the country.
The embassy's statement that it requires citizens to 'abide by local laws' aligns with these legal realities.
While the company's internal disciplinary action, including termination, is immediate, the worker may also face prosecution under Kenya's Penal Code.