Emmanuel Murgor, man behind viral Alchemist Bar video recants racism accusation

Emmanuel Murgor, the man behind the viral Alchemist Bar video has made a U-turn, retracting his earlier sentiments accusing the entertainment joint of racial discrimination.

On Friday, the bar's management made Murgor’s statement public, with a revelation that they met him and he admitted that the video he shared was misleading.

“We met with Emmanuel and his advocate to discuss the incident on May 20th. He has acknowledged that the clip shared was misleading to the public and was not representative of what happened that evening and what we stand for,” The Alchemist Bar said.

In his own words, Emmanuel Murgor also changed tune on his viral video that had caused an uproar among Kenyans leading to closure of the establishment and government involvement.

"The clip I shared made an impression that there was racial bias practiced at The Alchemist. That was never the case.

"After reviewing the full footage of the evening and even from the experience inside I can attest The Alchemist embraces diversity. I also reiterate that from how the club’s management has handled the incident, they are open to diversity and have in fact zero tolerance towards racism. I deeply apologize for any narrative the short clip may have caused. That was never my intention,” read Emmanuel Murgor’s statement in part.

Murgor went on to apologize to The Alchemist and their business partners.

Man behind Viral Alchemist video makes U-turn, issues statement Man behind Viral Alchemist video makes U-turn, issues statement Pulse Live Kenya

The Alchemist’s tribulations started after Murgor’s video clip went viral showing alleged discrimination against black people by having white and Indian revelers in one line and blacks in another while waiting in line to enter.

On Monday, the management at Alchemist Bar said that they were closing their doors to pave way for investigations into accusations of racism against clients.

According to an official statement from the management of the entertainment spot, the closure is a temporary measure to allow the Nairobi County Government to probe reported incidents of discrimination.

On May 3, Nairobi Governor Anne Kananu suspended the trading license of the Alchemist Bar in Westland.

Major setback as Governor Anne Kananu revokes Alchemist license Major setback as Governor Anne Kananu revokes Alchemist license Pulse Live Kenya

“After careful consultation with Nairobi County Government, The Alchemist has agreed to close its doors while a thorough investigation is conducted over the next few days," read part of the statement.

Investigations are currently ongoing to review the night of May 20, 2022 in order to determine if the guests in question were denied entry and if there was a policy in place to have separate lines for guests.