The French School of Nairobi along Argwings Kodhek Road near Yaya Centre is on the spot over alleged racial discrimination, employment malpractices and tax evasion.
According to reports by a local weekly publication, the school management of the Lycée Denis Diderot, as it is known, discriminates against employees of African origin and exposes them to inhumane working conditions.
Senior managers are said to be employing their spouses who come to visit them, without work permits as required by law.
“The law does not allow spouses joining the wives or husbands engage in employment since that is prohibited. They do not even pay taxes,” says an employee who spoke the weekly.
The adversely mentioned department is the financial department, which is used to intimidate and ‘humble’ African employees who show signs of “growing horns”.
Bastein Seingolles is the head of the department, and his wife, Anne-Claire Delamarre, is employed against the law as the general manager of a French Wine Company.
Others reported to be notorious for harassing Africans include Zineb Akhachouf who is the procurement officer at the school also and a dependent pass holder. His spouse is Abdelhafyd Bekaoui and expatriate and senior banker at the Bank of Africa. Loubna Chergui, a senior accountant and also dependent pass holder whose spouse is Adil El Yousefi, Liquid Telkom Kenya CEO.
The school security officer Pascal Danazen is also accused o ‘fixing’ employees of African origin against the management.
“The same individuals are notorious harassing local Kenyans at the work place and are racist to say the least. They have taken some Kenyan workers to Kilimani Police Station accusing them of theft and claiming the Africans are thieves,” the publication quoted the workers.Lycée Denis Diderot
According to reports that we are yet to confirm, the police are now investigating the school after it emerged that they have been evading to pay taxes.
“As a known fact also, they do not remit their taxes to KRA and thus are not tax compliant. We call on the authorities to sort out the mess at the school. The director of the school is Antonie Kopp. Others in key position are Isabelle Palhe, Basten Signolles who is designated as director of administration and financier,” added the workers.
