The High Court in Nairobi has ordered the Intercontinental Hotel to pay Sh2 million to a woman after she suffered humiliation.
Ms Winfred Njoki Clarke is said to have been humiliated on March 19, 1998 at the Hotel when she was kicked out and dismissed as a sex worker.
The court heard that on the material date, she had gone to Intercontinental hotel to have a drink but she could not be served on grounds that she wasn’t in the company of a man.
According to court documents, a waiter at the hotel refused to serve her and demanded that she pay a cover charge because she was not residing at the hotel.
She was taken to the manager who dismissed her as a sex worker hunting for clients at the five-star hotel and ordered a security guard to throw her out of the hotel.
“A security guard pulled me outside the hotel because I refused to pay the cover charge. I was denied an opportunity to sit at the lounge and when I ended up outside and boarded a taxi, the driver was ordered not to carry me,” Ms Njoki said in her court papers as quoted by barakafm.org.
She said that despite explaining she was a married woman, the security guard dragged her to the street and the hotel management called the police who arrested her.
The court heard that Ms Njoki was unlawfully detained for two days at Central police station without any charges being pressed against her adding that she was mistreated at the police station and efforts by her husband to have her released on bail failed.
In defence, the hotel argued that Ms Njoki’s behavior was unruly and could only be intervened by using police.
Justice Msagha Mbogholi in his ruling dismissed the hotel’s argument saying that the action of the Intercontinental personnel tainted the image and reputation of Ms Njoki.
Justice Mbogholi ordered the hotel to pay Sh2 million and Ms Njoki was also suing the attorney general and the Judge ordered the AG to pay her Sh1 million as damages.