The Standard ­ Wednesday
Date: 07.09.2016
Page 22
Article size: 132 cm2
ColumnCM: 29.33
AVE: 70399.99
Farmers boycott tea picking over threats
KIRINYAGA
By KAMAU MUNENE
office).
The situation got worse when the
farmers blocked employees of the
neighbouring Nyayo tea zone from
picking tea.
Farmers affiliated to the troubled
The farr^'TS went to the farm to
ThumaitaTea Factory have boycotted
tea picking citing threatening leaflets.
The farmers yesterday stayed in­
doors after they found leaflets warn­
ing them of dire consequences should
they start picking the green leaf.
The leaflets authored in Kikuyu
reads in part: "Onyo. Akuria a Thu­
maita tea factory gutiri gutua cai, an­
confront tht orkers who on sensing
danger fled. Ihe farmers destroyed
the green tea tL. workers had already
picked.
The irate farmers vowed to repulse
any employee who would defy their
orders and threatened to burn down
the lorries used to transport the com­
modity.
du aitu mari thiini na aici mari oi iti­
The workers intended to have the
ini.(Warning! Thumaita tea farmers,
no picking of tea when our people
are still in police custody while those
green tea they were picking transport­
ed to the nearby Kimunye factory for
processing since Thumaita has re­
mained closed since August 28.
who have looted our resources are in
On Saturday, Anglican Church of
Kenya Kirinyaga Diocesan Bishop Jo­
seph Kibucwa addressed the striking
farmers at Kamugunda market, ap­
pealing to them to see reason and end
the hostility.
"Baba Askofu, please don't waste
your time since we have made up our
mind that unless the money we have
been robbed is included in our pay
slips, we are not going to listen to any­
one. Please pass this message to oth­
ers," said Marion Wanjiru, a farmer.
The farmers told the bishop that
unless the contentious Sh5 bonus
payment shortfall is reflected in their
pay slips, they would not budge.
The go­slow has adversely affected
the sector, with farmers losing Sh2.5
million daily.
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