Kenya to deport Chinese national over monkey slur

The Immigration Department has revoked a work permit of a Chinese national for calling Kenyans monkeys.

A video that went viral on social media captures Liu Jaiqi, who sells motor bikes along the Eastern Bypass in Nairobi, calling Kenyans, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, monkeys. He goes on to say he is in Kenya just for the money.

“Everyone, every Kenyan is like a monkey. Even Uhuru Kenyatta, all of them. I don’t like you monkey people, smell bad and foolish and black,” Jiapi is heard telling a Kenyan worker Sonlink Limited, which sells motorbikes in Ruiru, who had complained of mistreatment.

In a tweet Thursday morning, Immigration authorities said Jiaqi will be deported on racism grounds.

UPDATE:
Chinese National by the Name Liu Jiaqi who was captured on video yesterday using abusive words has been arrested. His work permit has been canceled and will be deported on racism grounds. Via @GKihalangwa cc. @InteriorKE @FredMatiangi #AskImmigrationKE pic.twitter.com/o0hS6d219K

— Immigration Kenya. (@ImmigrationDept) September 6, 2018

It is not the first time Chinese nationals, whose number in the country has been rising rapidly in recent years as the Asian giant engages in financing and implementing major infrastructural projects have found themselves in trouble over racism.

Recently, Kenyans working at the Standard Gauge Railway claimed they are racially discrimination sparking a national outrage even as the government came to the defence of the Chinese.

Following the latest incident that sparked the ire of many Kenyans including Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and lawyer Apollo Mboya, there were calls for Jiapi to be subjected to Kenyan law instead of merely being arrested and deported.

The Immigration Department termed claims by blogger Robert Alai that Jiaqi had already left the country as a lie, saying he is being processed for deportation.