Kenyan Swahili Village in U.S Fined Ksh67M Over Wage Theft

The Attorney General of Washington, D.C., Brian Schwalb, said on Tuesday July 16, that a well-known Kenyan restaurant Swahili Village must pay $526, 973 (over 67 million) to resolve a wage theft lawsuit.

Subsequently, the Office of the Attorney General alleged that Swahili Village DC stole wages and tips from servers, hosts, food runners and bartenders, by paying as little as $5 an hour.

Further, the founder and CEO of Swahili Village DC, Kevin Onyona and Ermad Shoeb, who served as Chief Operating Officer, previously denied the allegations of stealing from their working-class employees, many of whom are African immigrants.

 “Our investigation indicates that Swahili Village DC and its executives, Kevin Onyona and Emad Shoeb, persistently and systematically failed to pay hundreds of hard-working restaurant workers the wages, tips, and benefits they were legally entitled to receive, violating the basic wage, overtime, sick leave, and record-keeping rules that all District employers are required to follow,” DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb.

According to a release from OAG, the settlement requires Swahili Village and its executives to pay more than $260,000 in restitution to 72 affected workers, $197,614 in penalties to D.C., a claims administrator to contact and pay all eligible workers, and a change in practices to comply with District wage and hour laws.

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Swahili Village Accused of Wage Theft

Besides, the restaurant includes a 20 percent tip on all bills. However, the owners are accused of taking large quantities of tips, while paying some workers in tips, with total wages far from below the minimum wage.

“For months, I saw managers mistreat my coworkers, including many young immigrants who did not even realize that what was happening was wrong.

“I spoke out, but it didn’t change things. I’m so grateful that the lawyers from the attorney general’s office heard our plea for help and stood with us to get justice,” former Swahili Village bartender Rowles Adams said.

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In late 2020, Onyona told The Washingtonian that the DC location was failing and that 65 staff had been laid go.

The lawsuit says that even as the restaurant’s economy recovered in 2021, it hired 30 new employees with Onyona and Shoeb continuing to defraud their employees.

Also to note, since gaining the authority to prosecute wage theft penalties in 2017, the DC attorney general’s office has investigated over 75 companies, including several restaurants and hospitality firms.

About the Restaurant 

Swahili Village, a network of African meal eateries across the United States, was established by Kevin Onyona back on July 13, 2016.

The idea came while searching for restroom facilities in Maryland, when Onyona had an unexpected encounter with the subpar conditions that sparked the idea for restaurant business. 

Further, President Ruto on September 17, 2023, visited Swahili Village which   was part of his official trip to the United States. Ruto praised Onyona for his success, noting that Kenyans are known for being hardworking, industrious.

“Witnessing the success of thriving Kenyans abroad propels our resolve to intensify our foreign relations efforts aimed at broadening opportunities for many more,” Ruto said then. 

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