Kiogoro ward MCA in Kisii County Samuel Apoko has protested poor tea bonuses to farmers.
The ward representative, speaking on Friday morning at Kiamokama tea buying center, said the decision by tea factories to pay peanuts as bonuses is unacceptable.
“Tea factories are exploiting our farmers who depend on tea by paying them peanuts as yearly bonus. Kiamokama tea factory should consider paying tea farmers well and not the Sh23 per kg,” he said.
Apoko condemned tea factory directors for failing to represent the farmers well and push for their good payment.
He said farmers may end up uprooting tea from their farms and grow bhang the same way tea farmers in Nyamira threatened to do.
“If bhang will be legalized we must be ready for tea farmers to uproot tea from their farms to grow bhang. It is time our farmers should be paid well for their hard work,” he stated.
He threatened to move to court to ensure tea farmers are getting good bonus pay this year.
"I am ready to challenge the decision by tea factories to underpay tea farmers in court," said the MCA.
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