A woman has raised concerns over an incident she says occurred inside the ladies’ washroom at the Galitos restaurant located in Union Towers, Nairobi’s Central Business District.
According to her account, she had just finished using the washroom and was still getting dressed when a male cleaner allegedly entered without knocking or announcing his presence. She said the unexpected encounter left her startled and embarrassed, feeling that her privacy had been violated.
The woman claims she immediately sought assistance from restaurant staff, hoping to report the incident and speak with a manager. However, she alleges that her concerns were not addressed as expected. She says employees informed her that the manager was unavailable, leaving her without an immediate avenue to lodge a formal complaint.
The incident has sparked discussion on the importance of privacy and customer safety in public facilities, particularly in busy commercial establishments where washrooms serve large numbers of people throughout the day. Many businesses have procedures requiring cleaning staff to announce themselves before entering occupied washrooms or temporarily close the facilities during cleaning to avoid uncomfortable situations.
As of Monday, Galitos had not publicly responded to the woman’s allegations, and no independent account has confirmed the sequence of events. It also remains unclear whether the restaurant has launched an internal review into the matter.
The woman has not been publicly identified, and no police report has been made public in relation to the incident. Her account therefore remains an allegation.
The incident has nevertheless reignited conversations about how businesses should handle customer complaints involving privacy. Beyond having clear cleaning protocols, many believe establishments should ensure complaints are received respectfully, investigated promptly, and addressed transparently to maintain customer confidence.
Whether the restaurant will issue a statement or clarify its internal procedures remains to be seen.