The curse of Chepchabas village

By Vitalis Kimutai

Brewing, selling and consumption of illicit brews is their favourite pass time. To others, it is the main economic activity.

Throughout the day, visitors and passers-by see young and elderly men and women staggering by the roadside after having their fill of the illicit brew.

This is repeated almost every day at Chepchabas village in Saosa location, Kimulot division. The area in the newly created Konoin District has an estimated population of 10,000 people who are squatters.

Despite the high and rising population, the area has one secondary, primary, nursery school, and one dispensary.

"Chepchabas Primary School has more than 1,000 pupils making it one of the learning institutions with the largest population in the region, while only 50 students are in the secondary section," Peter Cheruiyot, a resident said.

High drop out rate among school going children is the order of the day. Girls are married off or leave for nearby towns to look for jobs as barmaids or house helps while others engage in prostitution.

No female has attained even a primary school teacher’s training certificate while the entire area has only three men who have graduated from university.

Peter Cheruiyot, Chairman of the Kaptuigeny/Chepchabas squatters shows the map of the area where residents were evicted to pave way for establishment of multinational tea estates.

Children outside a dilapidated house at Chepchabas village. Photos: Vitalis Kimutai/Standard

"Young girls fetching firewood from nearby bushes and tea plantations or water from local streams in a clear case of child labour are scenes witnessed daily," Mr Cheruiyot told The Standard on Sunday.

The scenes were replayed at the weekend when The Standard on Sunday and KTN team visited the area.

Social amenities are non-existent while infrastructure is in a sorry state.

"Most of the residents use the tea estates to relieve themselves during the day and at night as there are no pit latrines which has given rise to cases of water borne diseases," Philip Rugut said.

But despite the suffering, the squatters are surrounded by lush green tea estates. The families live in pathetic state not out of choice but because of historical factors. It is said they were ‘dumped’ in the area without compensation by the multinational firms.

No permanent house

The area has no permanent house as most are mud walled and grass thatched units, with a few having timber roofs.

Some of the houses have leaking roofs for lack of repair over the years while families squeeze in, with parents sharing a roof with children old enough to have their own houses.

Nora Taprandich, 83, said the families were moved to the area in 1968, with the promise they would be resettled but few got land. Those who did got less than they expected.

"Out of 648 families, only 214 were compensated with two acres each by the African Highlands and Produce Company (AHPC) that later changed to James Finlay Tea Kenya (JFTK) in 2002 instead of the seven acres which was due," Ms Taprandich said.

The families were moved from Timbolit, Chepkoibet, Ketumbe, Changana, Saosa, Chemogondany and Kimulot to pave way for establishment of tea bushes in 6,483 hectares under lease by JFTK.

Taprandich, who we found plucking tea in her quarter of an acre shamba, said her family, like the others, had been promised seven acres but were given only two.

"We were told we would get an additional five acres at a later stage but that has not happened more than 30 years down the line. We have actually resigned to fate," Taprandich said.

Ezekiel Maiywa said his family was moved from Chepterkeke to pave way for establishment of the tea estates, but he was not compensated. He said the family now has to do casual jobs in the estates for a living.

"Our children do not go to school despite the free primary and secondary education as we have no money to buy uniforms and books," Mr Maiywa said.

William Kiptergech Birir said his grandparents were moved from Cheptebes area to Chepchabas but were not given alternative land reducing them to squatters.

Cheruiyot Baliach, a director with the Nature’s Wisdom, a community based environmental organisation in Konoin, says to create more land for tea bushes the multinational company settled the families at Chepchabas between 1968 and 1975.

"The genesis of the problem can be traced to the 1920s to 1940s when white settlers moved out families and cleared vegetation in the area to give way to setting up of the tea plantations," Mr Baliach said.

Eunice Ngeno, a peasant farmer, said some of the families resorted to planting tea in a portion of the land they got but can hardly make ends meet due to low income from sale of green leaf.

"The multinational only employs locals as casual labourers in the tea estates, as they lack education. But most tea pluckers have lately been laid off due to introduction of tea picking machines," Mrs Ngeno said.

She said the introduction of the machines had adversely affected economic activities resulting in low circulation of money due to the layoffs.

Agreement signed

The settlers signed an agreement with the squatters to be employed as labourers but it came with tough conditions. The conditions included that the squatters were not to keep dogs, not to distil traditional brew, and ensure no trees are cut down.

A circular dated January 3, 1967, issued to Philip Kiptanui Rugut, indicate that no male members of the labourer’s family who had attained age 16 would reside in their parent’s home unless they were contracted to work for the settlers.

The circular issued by the AHPC indicated no licence should be renewed when the original squatters die and land occupied must be confined to two acres per family.

For a long time, the Chepchabas squatters have desired to be provided with suitable sufficient land as per the provisions of the standing order on land policy decreed by the Queen.

Area residents now want the Government to compel multinationals to resettle and compensate them for loss of land.

Paul Sigei, a resident, said the JFTK should assist the locals put up schools and give bursary to bright children joining secondary schools, middle level colleges, and universities.

Dr Julius Kones, the area MP, said the squatters had suffered for long, but the Government and the multinational had given no attention to them.

The company’s management declined to discuss the issue when we sought a statement from them. The Director of Operations and Corporate Affairs at JFTK, Nelson Orgut said he did not want to be drawn into discussion on the plight of squatters.

"What I can tell you for now is that we are not laying off staff due to introduction of tea plucking machines, as we are leaving national attrition to balance up the numbers," Mr Orgut said in a telephone interview.

He said the company had an elaborate corporate social responsibility programme and had delivered on it.