Senior Presidential Advisor Makau Mutua has called for the closure of abusive foreign-owned companies operating in Kenya as the only way to curb racism.

Mutua’s sentiments come against the backdrop of the incident where a Chinese nationalist was captured assaulting a Kenyan worker in a disturbing incident in the Eldoret factory over the weekend.

Taking to X on Monday, November 17, 2025, the seasoned scholar and lawyer has also suggested that foreign staff working in such firms should be deported for bad behaviour.

Getting rid of racism

”The most effective way to deal with foreign-owned companies whose foreign staff abuse Kenyan workers is to close the company down and deport its entire foreign staff. The racist, evil, and primitive abuse I saw on tape has no other effective cure. This episode isn’t a one-off,” Mutua argued.

On Sunday, November 16, 2027, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, also condemned the incident, calling upon the Ministry of Interior, headed by Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, to deport the Chinese national who was recorded physically abusing a Kenyan worker.

In a letter to Kipchumba Murkomen, dated November 15, 2025, Atwoli expressed deep concern over the abuse of Kenyan workers by foreign investors.

COTU’s message to Murkomen

“The Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), COTU (K), is deeply concerned by the prevalent cases of abuse of Kenyan workers by foreign investors. We have taken note of a disturbing viral video circulating on social media in which a Chinese national, allegedly a manager at TCM Mabati Factory in Eldoret, is clearly seen assaulting a Kenyan worker under his supervision,” part of the COTU statement read.

In his letter, Francis Atwoli cited a growing trend of foreign investors abusing local workers, giving an example of a Chinese investor at the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) who not only forced Kenyan workers to sing Chinese songs before, during, and after work.

“COTU therefore demands the immediate deportation of the Chinese national captured on video assaulting a Kenyan worker at TCM Mabati Factory. Anything less would be a betrayal of the trust Kenyan workers have placed in your ministry and the government at large,” he added.

“Just last week, COTU raised concerns and called for the deportation of another Chinese investor at the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) who not only forced Kenyan workers to sing Chinese songs before, during, and after work but also verbally abused the General Secretary of the Tailors and Textile Workers Union.

COTU has also urged relevant authorities, including the Interior Department, to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and enforcement measures relating to enterprises run by foreign nationals.