Tea farmers in Mogogosiek, Bomet County, have rejected this year’s bonus payment of Ksh12 per kilogram, terming it unfair and far below their expectations.
The farmers are now demanding urgent reforms in Kenya’s tea sector, including a forensic audit of factories, withdrawal of auction brokers, and a full separation of Kobel and Mogogosiek factories.
Speaking to the journalists at the factory on Saturday, a farmer Joel Kimeto said the Ksh12 bonus was “a big insult” to hardworking farmers who have consistently delivered high-quality green leaf.
“We are demanding the withdrawal of the current auction brokers. We believe new brokers will give better returns. We also want a forensic audit of the factories to know where the money is going,” Kimeto said.
He further called on the Board of Directors to spearhead the separation of Kobel and Mogogosiek factories to allow each to manage its own affairs and improve accountability.
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The farmers also want the Ministry of Agriculture to intervene urgently, saying the sector risks
However, Alex Cheruiyot said farmers are not happy with the prices and had expected higher prices this time round but were disappointed by the bonus announcement.
“We are not happy with the prices. We were expecting much higher returns this year but that has not happened. We want the board to explain why our bonus is still low despite plucking quality tea leaves. We also want to know what led to these losses,” he said.
The farmers warned they might stop plucking tea leaves from October 1 if their demands are not addressed.
Simon Langat, another farmer, expressed disappointment with the disparity in bonuses paid to different regions.
“We are saddened by the Ksh12 bonus while other regions are getting Ksh50. We have waited for so long and our leaders have been failing us. We better switch to other crops because of such returns,” Langat said.
Langat added that despite high yields from their region, the farmers are forced to sell their produce at lower prices. “We want a law enacted in Parliament to ensure uniformity in prices across all tea-growing regions,” he said.
By Our reporter
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