TRA withdraws permit of embattled Taita Hills Resort Manager

The government has canceled the work permit of Sanjeev Kumar, the General Manager at Taita Hills Resort in Taita Taveta County, following claims of employee harassment with some labelling him as racist.

The move by the Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) comes after a comprehensive investigation into the reported mistreatment of staff at the resort, which is part of the Salt Lick Taita Hills complex.

Kumar, who is of Asian descent, has previously faced numerous allegations of inhumane workplace abuse, discrimination, and mistreatment of staff.

The trend had persisted until one worker came forth with accusations of body shaming.

The contracted employee alleged that Kumar repeatedly made demeaning comments on her figure and stated that such features had “no place in the hospitality industry.”

The complainant reported the abuse to the Human Resource Manager but instead of addressing the matter, she was transferred to the front desk under which she still faced verbal abuse. Ultimately, she was dismissed prematurely from her internship.

TRA outlined the harmful impact the abuse had on the employee and how the hostile work environment worsened over time. These comments humiliated her creating a hostile and discouraging work environment.

According to the complaint received by TRA, similar stories from others who had worked under Kumar came through, with some even more distressing.

Further allegations came from another former employee who accused Kumar of unprofessional behaviour such as yelling at staff in front of guests.

The staffer also reported that their  leave requests, including maternity and paternity leave, were often ignored.

Those who raised concerns about their treatment faced verbal abuse and retaliation with constant threats of punishment .

TRA also received witness accounts from other staff members, one of whom described an incident where the accused  berated a pastry chef.

These acts of aggression were reportedly witnessed by other employees, who said the atmosphere in the workplace had become increasingly toxic.

A video shared online further exposed Kumar’s treatment of the staff. It showed him confronting a male local staffer in what appeared to be a kitchen place.

During the melee, the irate manager knocked utensils and food off the counter while angrily shouting at the staff member. The video, which was widely circulated, caused public outrage and led to further scrutiny of Kumar’s conduct.

TRA then  intervened and raised the allegations with the resort’s management.

The authority demanded a formal response within five days. TRA also warned that failure to address the issues could result in the suspension of the resort’s tourism license.