A racism controversy is brewing in Kenya over a skit aired by China’s state broadcaster, CCTV on Thursday.
The skit was aired by CCTV to celebrate China’s Lunar New Year-the Spring Festival Gala where there was a scene featuring Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway which was built by one of the Chinese construction companies.
However, it is the presence of a black man dressed like a monkey and a Chinese actress who had painted herself black and stuffed materials to enlarge her posterior that did not sit very well with some of the 700 million viewers estimated to watch the show every year.
Linda Benabdallah, an African specialist at Wake Forest University in North Carolina told the New York Times that the projection by CCTV was wrong. “Whatever the intention, it’s not acceptable.”
A twitter user as quoted by Nairobi News noted: “CCTV’s racist show during spring Gala shook me and made me so ashamed of China and my people.”
Another one added: “It was cringe-worthy at best, completely racist at worst. It’s Africa so bring out tribal dancers and animals? And what was that a Chinese woman in black face and fake posterior?”
Lawyer Donald Kikorir said: “I’m waiting for our new minister for Foreign Affairs to summon the Chinese Ambassador.”
“What’s disgusting is that we won’t hear any official complaint from African governments who are complicit in the recolonization of Africa by China,” lawyer Giobu Imanyara told NYT.
But even as the controversy raged, Kenyan officials as well as the Chinese Embassy here have remained mum over the issue.
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs communication facilitator when asked about the issue said “Let it wait probably till Monday.”