(CNN)The owner of a Chinese restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya has been arrested following an uproar over its policy of banning African customers at night, according to reports.
Owner Zhao Yang was arrested for operating a restaurant without a valid license shortly after local press ran a story alleging that Kenyan reporters were turned away from the restaurant — for being African.
Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper carried a story Monday that its reporters had been barred entry to the restaurant, being told by a guard at the entrance that “the time for Africans is over” when the journalists arrived at 7 p.m.
Only locals accompanied by Chinese, European or Indian patrons would be admitted, the newspaper reported.
It also reported that two local politicians, “loyal patrons” Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and former Cabinet Minister Raphael Tuju, had been admitted, the latter being a friend of the owner.
Kenyan social media users were quickly up in arms about the ban, taking to Facebook and Twitter to voice their displeasure, using the hashtag #noblacksallowed.
