Eastland Hotel’s Chinese director accused of assaulting Kenyan workers
On the October 10, at 6am, Edward Mulwa and Nancy Osoro reported to work promptly to take on their duties at Eastland Hotel, as chef and waitress respectively.
The day looked promising with even the gloomy Nairobi weather behaving itself allowing the sun to shine.
And thanks to Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i, it was a national holiday, so they knew it was going to be a busy day as they prepared themselves to receive merry makers.
“That day I was in the morning shift which starts at 6am and ends at 2pm. I was the only waitress on duty at the restaurant as the trainees and casuals do not report to work on holidays. We spent the better part of the morning with only a few people arriving at the restaurant,” Ms Osoro narrated.
Sadly, this would also be the day Mr Mulwa and Ms Osoro would get fired.
At around lunch time one of the Directors walked in the restaurant and ordered for a plate of chicken wings.
Ms Osoro took his order and headed to the kitchen. However, while on her way there a group of people entered the restaurant.
RUSHED
Instinctively she rushed to attend to them.
“They were a large group of people who came to the restaurant. So without thinking I rushed to welcome them. At that time I had not yet passed the director’s order to the kitchen,” explained Ms Osoro.
Her decision not to pass on her director’s meal request appears to be the catalyst that set things in motion, from good to bad.
“It all happened so fast. The director started shouting at everyone asking why his meal was being delayed. He came into the kitchen and stood there ordering me me to hurry up. I panicked working while my boss was there looking very angry,” said Mr Mulwa the Chef.
Cooking under pressure rattled the chef to the extent of him not preparing the chicken wing well – at least not to the director’s liking.
“The next thing the director summoned us (Nancy the waitress, the cashier and myself the people working at the restaurant during that day) at the terrace, where he was sitting. He started yelling and assaulting me. I was wearing my chef’s hat which he grabbed and threw to the ground. He hit me on the head, then slapped me and twisted by right hand. He even kicked me on the leg,” he said.
OB NUMBER
He added: “The Director then told me he does not want to see me again. So I left and went to the hospital and then went to report the matter to Kilimani Police Station. Which is booked under OB number 49/10/10/2019. It was a very traumatising experience. I have been working for Eastland Hotel since 2013 and this is the first time such a thing has happened to me.”
Mr Mulwa and Ms Osoro were later relieved off their duties at the hotel without any explanation.
The whole incident was captured by the hotel’s CCTV cameras which Nairobi News has obtained.
Nairobi News was able to contact the Director Tang Wey Qin by phone, he however claimed to have no knowledge of the incident.
“I do not know if that happened, let me find out about it,” said Mr Qin.