Public participation
Tea Farmers in Kisii County have decried rampant theft in their farms leaving them impoverished further aggravating the poverty levels in the area.
Giving their views on how to improve the sector during a public participation event at Kiamokama tea factory in Gesusu ward, Nyaribari Masaba, the farmers alleged their tea was being stolen from the farms at night leading to low yields. The farmers also cited other challenges during the National Parliamentary Committee on agriculture hearing, including low tea bonus, laxity by factory managers to address their plight and lack of fertilizer for their farm among others.
Many voiced worries about the safety of women who mainly do the harvesting because they have to reap in the wee hours of the morning in time for their produce to be collected by 8am by the factory transport. “We work hard to produce quality tea, and it is disheartening to see our efforts undermined by those stealing our tea.” Said Geoffrey Bosire a tea farmer.
Farmers accused the factory management of not adhering to transparent electoral processes, resulting in a leadership that does not reflect the will of the majority. “Many times we have directors who are incompetent and who doesn’t know how to run these organizations unlike other areas like central where they choose professionals,” said Nicodemus Ohanda.
The farmers also expressed dissatisfaction with the bonus they receive compared to other tea factories. They highlighted that while neighbouring factories have increased their bonuses, kiamokama’s rates have remained relatively low leading to financial strain for many families. “We see other factories like Nyeri giving higher bonuses at a rate of sh. 62 yet we work just as hard and deserve better profits from our labor,” said Thomas Nyagati.
Therefore the farmers urged the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) to reevaluate the bonus distribution to ensure equity among all tea producers. On Fertilizer supply, the farmers said they sometimes don’t receive any despite their money being deducted from their pay.
Sabina Chege a member of parliamentary Committee on Agriculture urged the tea factory directors to save ensure farmers get value for their labor proper management of their resources. Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka emphasized the importance of accountability among the factory directors, urging them to engage more effectively with the farming community.
Onyonka called upon factory managers to install solar energy to reduce cost of energy.