Calls made to probe a tea factory over bonus rates

A tea farmer at Giakaibei Tea Buying Center, Mathira, Nyeri County on September 1, 2018. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

A group of farmers affiliated to Kanyenya-ini Tea Factory have called for investigations into reduced bonus payments.

The farmers claimed the Sh865 million payout this year was unrealistic as it was way less than the Sh1.12 billion paid last year.

This year's bonus payment was calculated at Sh37.30 per kilo of green leaf delivered for processing at Kanyenya-ini factory between July 1, 2017 and June 30 this year.

The rate, which has reduced by Sh11, prompted the farmers to call for an audit backdated  to 2014.

"We fear the factory might have lost money running into millions of shillings,” said the farmers.

Murang’a North Kenya Tea Development Agency board member Francis Macharia said the factory was ready for audit.

In the past four years, some farmers have broken ranks with the factory and started selling their produce to Ngorongo Tea Factory in Kiambu County.