Farmers growing tea in Bomariba ward Kisii South sub-county have decried being harassed by KTDA officials at tea collecting centers.
The farmers have now raised an alarm that if the officers will not change the behavior, they are going to stop selling their tea to Ogembo factory until the respect is accorded to them.
Led by Fred Okeyo, the vice chairman Igonga Tea buying center, they have accused the officers in charge of weighing tea at the collecting center of disrespecting them as farmers.
"We should be valued as anybody else. How comes the officers threaten not to weigh and take our tea to the extent of using abusive language to farmers. The driver, his assistant and the 2 officers responsible for weighing tea should be removed from this center or else we will stop bringing our tea here," Okeyo said on phone.
Okeyo added that the farmers have already informed the tea buying center management that soon they will stop bringing their tea to the center.
"As the management team, we have launched investigations which later will see the changes implemented. Farmers have rights of respect. Abusive languages to old people who are tea growers are not appealing at all. Next week the management members will go to Ogembo to inform the managers to remove or transfer the accused officers from coming to this place before the farmers stop to sell tea leaves to the factory," he argued.
He urged farmers to be patient as the management is looking into the matter.