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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Children exploited on expansive crop plantation in Mau Narok

Crop

By Mercy Kahenda | Aug 18, 2020

As early as 5am, despite chilly weather, operation at Mau Narok, an agriculture thriving center is a hive of activities entailing loading of agricultural produce ready for market.

Heavily dressed men and women carrying hoes, kiondos, sacks and buckets gather at the center to ready to work at the expansive crop plantations where various farm produce including peas, carrots, potato and vegetables are grown.

Accompanying the casual laborers are forlorn looking school going children as young as five years, who squat inside vehicles ferrying people to different farms, to avoid being arrested and identified by law enforcers.

“Kijana ingia utawachwa (young man get in not to be left behind)”- they are herded into the vehicles, ready for the day’s labor on the expansive large scale crop farms

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Among the jobs performed on the expansive mixed crop farms weeding, harvesting of green grams, harvesting and packing potato ready for market, work too done by minors.

On the farms, gender is not a determinant to work performed, as key is money- but which amount?

Children are subjected to cheap labor, with a pay of as low as Sh30 working under scorching sun, and cold weather, for entire day- more than 10 hour.

“Children are most preferred laborers on the farms because they do not tire, more so plucking of peas, a role they play diligently. They are also too fast,” Patrick Kamau, a laborer tells The Standard.

Kamau adds that exploitation of children by large scale farmers is high with closure of schools due to Covid-19, because majority are idle at their homes.

“What will children be doing at their homes? They are not at school, so instead of playing, they can make some pennies to even support their parents,” eludes Kamau, when asked why farm owners employ children.

The exploitation seems not to stop soon, as authorities are aware, but decide to remain mum.

Child labor at the area contributes to increased cases of school dropouts, poor performance of candidates in national examinations and early marriages more so among girls.

At the center, The Standard catches up with Peter (not his real name), elbowing his way into one of the tractors.

The thirteen year old, a Standard Eight pupil at Ngwataniro primary school says he is forced to work in support of his single mother to take care of his younger siblings.

The candidate, a first born in a family of six children walks more than 10 kilometres from their home in Mwisho wa Lami, to Tipis, looking for the casual jobs.

In despair, looking worn out after day’s activities, he informs The Standard that on the farms, children are paid Sh5 per kilogram harvested peas. In a good day, the pupil harvests between 30 and 50 kilograms.

“Payment depends on your hard work, those who can harvest more peas, will get higher pay,”

When there is no work on the farms, they collect ‘matigio’ (substandard produce left behind during harvesting), for example carrots and peas that they later sell at cheaper prices.

The substandard produce is sold half the normal prices for instance, if a sack of carrots sells at Sh1, 000, they’ll sell either Sh500 or Sh300.

Sam (not his name) too looks weak, as he waits to receive pay from his team leader at the center.

His fingers are scarred and have fresh and healing blisters, and he complains of acute backache, which he blame on hard-work on the farms.

“Do you think plucking peas is easy? It is a hustle, that I have learnt to live with,” he says, with sunken eyes.

The minor, a second born in a family of five siblings says he doesn’t eat on the farms apart from taking water to avoid dehydration.

“At times, you get so much exhausted and lack strength to work on the farm, but what do you do? Who will serve you food?” he poses, as he slowly walks home, seemly overwhelmed by emotions.

This is the day to day activity at the center where large scale farmers employ children on cheap labour, at the watch of authority.

Efforts by The Standard to meet owners of the farms remained futile as they live in far towns.

The area MCA Jackson Githua, said major challenge in handling child labor has been has been lack of strategy in handling culprits.

Mr Githua said the vice has been on the rise after schools were closed in March, after Covid-19 pandemic.

Previously, he said road blocks could be erected along the routes were lorries ply towards the farms, where police officers would flash out school going children from the lorries, but currently, it is hard because parents claim they are accompanying them to their farms.

Some parents too claim to have financial constraints, and require support of the children.

“Administration is trying, but parents claim that children are eating too much while at home, and that they should as well help in generating income for the family,” said the politician.

However, the MCA and teachers have come up with initiative of supplying school going children with literature, to keep them engaged with education.

Under the initiative, teachers get revision material, which are printed and supplied to children, in their respective homes through village elders.

“Because most children are idle at their home, we are engaging them by supplying them with study material, which are collected at a central point. Those with difficulties are taken through tuition,” said Githua.

In addition, the MCA has also launched an initiative of supplying sanitary towel to teenage girls for menstrual hygiene and prevent them from being victims of early pregnancies.

According to him, lack of sanitary towels makes them to be easily lured into unwanted sexual relationship that has in the past resulted into early pregnancies and marriage.

“Church leaders have helped us document needy girls whom we supply pads and also take them through guiding and counselling initiatives to, to shape their moral behaviors,” he said.

The Rift Valley Provincial commissioner George Natembeya admitted that cases of child labor and exploitation in the area are rampart due to closure of schools.

Mr Natembeya directed chiefs and assistant chides to install road blocks within the areas, arrest offending parties who will be charged in court.

“Farming is a venture with money, and it is uncouth to get children to work for more hours at the farmers with a low pay. This shall not be entertained, anyone found employing a child shall be arrested,” said the commissioner.

However, the commissioner further took an issue with parents saying some have neglected their roles of providing for their families, and now demand for support of their children.

“It is a fact that children know value of money, but parents are directing their responsibility role to them at such a tender age,” he said.

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