Just a day after James Finlays Kenya Limited announced plans to close two of its flower farms in Kericho as a result of high labour costs and fire 1,700 employees in the process, area politicians and union officials have opposed the move saying it would disenfranchise not just the workers but the region as a whole. The leaders say the move was mostly driven by the continued agitation for better worker conditions and pay and called for dialogue over not just over the flower farms but also the use of tea picking machines.