NAIROBI, Kenya
The British Council in Kenya said on Tuesday that it is aware of allegations of racism and discrimination in its office in Nairobi, Kenya.
In a statement, the council said that it takes these allegations “very seriously.”
“We operate in over 100 countries across the world and our values of equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do,” the statement said.
The British Council noted that it had received a letter from an anonymous author in July 2021 and the British Council responded by initiating an investigation.
“On receiving the anonymous letter, we immediately initiated an investigation. This investigation is ongoing, and we are keeping avenues of engagement open with the author of the letter,” the statement said.
In the letter, the anonymous source indicated: “The head of communications and digital in the Kenya office who claimed they were forced out of their job and replaced by a white person who did not go through a competitive process despite having an exemplary record.”
The complainant also said that a regional director had asked the interviewing panel to look beyond existing staff during the interviewing process.
While noting that 98% of staff in the Kenya office are locally appointed, the British Council said: “We have robust internal mechanisms for addressing concerns and grievances on discrimination, racism, bullying and harassment.”
