Kenyan police detain another Chinese journalist just days after raiding China TV Nairobi office

david nganga

September 7, 2018 7:21 PM

The exercise has frustrated embassy officials

Kenyan police on Friday briefly detained a Chinese journalist as part of an ongoing immigration crackdown in the country.

Police raided the offices of the China Daily newspaper in Nairobi where they demanded the documents of staff before hauling deputy bureau chief Liu Hongjie to the police station. This despite having verified his work permit online.

"His work permit is valid. They even checked it online at his office. But he was still be taken away," Beijing embassy spokesman Zhang Ghang said, adding the journalist was later released.

The exercise has frustrated embassy officials seeing that a similar raid was carried out two days ago at the African headquarters of the China Global Television Network (CGTN).

Apology

Eight journalists were detained in the Wednesday raid as well as five other nationals employed in the same building.

Kenyan police, however, apologized on Thursday for briefly arresting journalists in spite of having legal documents.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press briefing in Beijing that Kenya had "admitted inadequacies in law enforcement and apologised".

On Thursday, a Chinese businessman was arrested and deported after a video of him uttering racist slurs against Kenyans, including against President Kenyatta, was widely shared on social media.

david nganga