A section of tea growers supplying tea to Sasini, a major producer in the country, is crying out for justice, citing mistreatment by the company.
The multinational company has unfairly refused to remit tea bonuses to the group of farmers, claiming that they skipped one month of supply, hence they are disqualified from the 2021/22 payment list.
However, the suppliers insist that the declaration is not based on any concrete law, but simply a greedy move by the company’s executives to illegally pocket their funds.
“Hi Nyakundi,
I am a tea grower of a multinational tea company called Sasini.
I have been supplying green leaves from January 2021 until October 2022.
I failed to deliver only in November, after which they paid their tea bonuses for the financial year September 2021 to September 2022.
The company claimed to have introduced a policy whereby if a farmer fails to deliver green leaf for just one month, then you don’t warrant to get a bonus claiming that you aren’t consistent.
From my understanding, tea bonuses have always been the second payment for the green leaf supplied for the year and not a reward for consistency.
It is the right of every grower who delivers tea green leaves.
This isn’t just a complaint from me, but from other growers as well.
This is impunity that should be fought from all corners since every grower deserves fair treatment.
Who took our second payment?” asked a source who wrote to us under the request of anonymity.
Sasini is one of Kenya’s major tea and coffee producers and is one of the country’s “Big 6” tea producers.
The company’s headquarters are located in Nairobi and the company’s stock is listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange.
It is a member of the Sameer Group of Companies.
