Managers at the Kericho based tea farms owned by Unilever, Lipton and James Finlay & Co that supply some of Britain’s most popular brands, including PG Tips and Lipton are facing multi-pronged investigations relating to rape, harassment and sexual exploitation of casual workers.
The exposé by BBC Africa dubbed “Sex for Work: The True Cost of Our Tea,” in which two female casual labourers claimed to have been forced to sleep with high-ranking officials at the said companies in order to be absorbed into their respective workforces has caused uproar within government agencies and human rights lobby groups both locally and internationally.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has since ordered the National Police Service (NPS) to commence investigations into alleged cases of rape and sexual assault at consumer goods company Unilever and tea manufacturer James Finlay Kenya.
The DPP said the allegations are contrary to Sections 4, 5, 6, 23(1), and 26 of the Sexual Offences Act, as well as Section 6(1) of the Kenya Employment Act.
Besides the police, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and Parliament have launched parallel probes.
Managers at the British owned farms are accused of sexual exploitation against Kenyan women looking for jobs in the two tea farms.
In a statement sent to newsrooms earlier today, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Labour Geoffrey Kaituko said the government takes the allegations seriously and expressed concern that such acts could happen.
Kaituko disclosed that the Ministry is engaging all parties involved including the workers, trade unions and the employers “to get to the bottom of this matter.” According to the PS, the outcome of the probe will be made available to the public once complete.
“We are working together with the police and other relevant government agencies to address the matter. We will give a comprehensive report on the case as soon as we conclude the investigations.” Kaituko noted.
He said the latest revelations depict a hostile work environment, in the two companies, which is not conducive to employment even as he reiterated that sexual harassment is a criminal offense.
“The Ministry is committed to the promotion of decent work for all without discrimination,” he said
Revelations of sexual exploitation perpetuated in the two firms came to the fore early this week in an investigative documentary aired by BBC.
In the documentary, the British broadcaster says it found more than 70 women had been abused by their managers at plantations operated, for years, by Unilever and James Finlay.
Yesterday, the British High Commissioner to Kenya Her excellency Jane Marriott condemned sexual abuse saying the appalling behavior has no place in society.
“I am concerned by the allegations of appalling behaviour made in this documentary – sexual abuse and exploitation has no place in society,” Marriott said on her Twitter handle.
In the meantime, the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) demanded that the James Finlay and Unilever tea companies cease sourcing labour through contractors.
KPAWU instead wants the companies owning the tea farms to offer direct employment to all contracted employees.
“Outsourcing of Labour affects the rights and welfare of workers considering they work at the mercy of contracted companies and not the parent company,” Francis Atwoli, Secretary General of KPAWU and COTU said.
Cases of blatant human rights abuses by British owned firms in the country have been on the rise.
Previously, the Murang’a based agricultural enterprise, Kakuzi PLC has on the spot over human rights abuse allegations ranging from murder, rape, assault and imprisonment against its employees and the neighboring community members.
Law firm Leigh Day said that 79 Kenyans had launched a legal claim in the High Court in London against Camellia for alleged human rights abuses by security guards employed by Kakuzi, its Kenyan subsidiary.
The allegations, dating from 2009 to January 2020, include rapes, attacks on local villagers, and a man being beaten to death, Leigh Day said.
However, Leigh Day lodged the case against Kakuzi’s parent company, noting the firm’s close supervision by its UK managers.
The UK Sunday Times published part of the allegations levied on Kakuzi which included the battering of a 28-year-old man to death over allegedly stealing avocados.
The allegations led Tesco to ban Kakuzi as its supplier on October 11, 2020 pending investigations.
Supermarket chains Sainsbury’s and Lidl also suspended Kakuzi supplies in the wake of the adverse reports.