A British television collected around 100 testimonies from women working on tea plantations in Kericho, in the west of the country.
More than 70 women denounced having been victims of sexual exploitation and claimed to have had no choice but to give in to their boss’s advances to obtain or keep their jobs.
On the same matter, one of them says she was infected with HIV, while others became pregnant. An official is also accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who lived on one of the plantations. Since the publication of these revelations on Monday, the reactions have been linked.
The testimonies of the women presented in the documentary provoked emotion and indignation. On Twitter, Kenyans call for justice.
The Ministry of Labor has just announced that it has launched an investigation and takes the accusations “very seriously”. They represent, according to the press release, “a violation of the law and of workers’ rights”. The attorney general also ordered the police to open an investigation.
The case went to Parliament. The Association of Parliamentarians specifically denounces “the culture of rape pervasive in some tea plantations in Kericho.” And asks that the alleged attackers be brought to justice. The organization insists on the need for “zero tolerance” for cases of sexual harassment. While reminding the targeted multinationals of their responsibility to uphold the human rights of their employees.
The documentary puts the finger at two British firms: Lipton Teas and Infusions (Unilever at the time of filming). The latter replied, saying that there was no place for this kind of behavior in the company. And announced that it had dismissed two managers mentioned in the documentary.