NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 16 – The Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya) has called for the immediate deportation of a Chinese national captured on video assaulting a Kenyan worker at the TCM Mabati Factory in Eldoret, escalating scrutiny over labour practices in foreign-owned firms.
In a letter to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli said the clip — which shows the man slapping and pushing an employee — highlights a “worsening pattern” of abuse of Kenyan workers in some foreign-run enterprises.
“The Government of Kenya must guarantee the dignity of Kenyans working in various locally based foreign investments,” Atwoli wrote.
“We also call upon you to deport other rogue Chinese investors including those running some entities in EPZ who force Kenyans to sing Chinese songs.”
COTU said the Eldoret assault mirrors another case reported last week at an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) factory, where a Chinese investor allegedly compelled workers to sing Chinese songs “before, during, and after work” while verbally abusing union officials.
In a separate letter to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, the federation accused another Chinese national, identified as Xiao Jianzhoun, of multiple labour violations including excessively long working hours without pay, intimidation, denial of toilet breaks, and creating “an environment of psychological and physical distress.”
The union argued that such incidents undermine Kenya’s investment climate and contravene national labour laws as well as international standards for enterprises employing local workers.
Atwoli warned that inaction would amount to “a betrayal of the trust Kenyan workers have placed in your Ministry and the Government at large,” urging stronger enforcement, inspections and compliance monitoring in firms run by foreign nationals.
COTU has asked the Interior and Labour ministries to intervene and ensure all foreign investors in Kenya “respect the dignity, rights, and sovereignty of Kenyan workers.”
The demands follow public outrage after the assault video circulated widely on social media, prompting calls for the perpetrator’s immediate deportation.
