Tobacco farmers in Migori detain company staff as they demand bonus payment

A tobacco farmer on his farm. Growers in Migori on Wednesday detained workers of Alliance One Tobacco in their premises as they demanded bonus payments. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The growers forced they way into Alliance One Tobacco leaf centre at Mabera in Kuria West sub-county.
  • The farmers stormed the administration block where they harassed the staff for hours in their pay demand.
  • The farmers also demanded the scrapping of leaf insurance policy.
  • AOT managers called anti-riot police officers from the Isebania border point to avert the destruction of property.

Hundreds of tobacco farmers Wednesday detained a tobacco company’s workers demanding bonus payments.

The growers forced their way into Alliance One Tobacco (AOT) leaf centre at Mabera in Kuria West Sub-County.

Security guards failed to block them.

The farmers, who were accompanied by 10 county assembly members, overpowered the guards and stormed the administration block, where they harassed the staff for hours in their pay demand.

AOT managers called anti-riot police officers from the Isebania border point to avert the destruction of property.

The farmers accused the firm of taking them “for a ride” and demanded that two senior managers leave the centre or else they would stop selling their produce to the multinational company.

ALLEGED HARASSMENT

“The managers harass us whenever we come here to demand our dues…we do not want them,” shouted Mr Johanes Chacha, a farmer from Bukira West Village.

The farmers also demanded the scrapping of the leaf insurance policy.

Assembly member Nicholas Rioba, who led his nine colleagues to the leaf centre, said payment of bonuses by the company had become a circus.

“We want farmers to get their bonuses early before the new planting season. This company must address the grievances of their contracted farmers,” he said.

Masaba Ward Representative Abedi Maroa said they would ask their people to switch to other cash crops if tobacco farming was no longer rewarding.

INSURANCE FEE 'SCARPPED'

AOT leaf manager Valentine Ogongo told the farmers that the insurance fee had been scrapped amid promises to make the payments by mid-next month.

“Leaf sorting bonus will be paid by mid next month. We are already working on logistics to roll out the pay out,” he said.

Mr Ogongo, however, warned farmers against demonstrating inside the company premises, and thereby affecting their operations.

“Let them engage the company on acceptable platforms and not through mob pressure,” he told the media in his office.

Alliance One is a tobacco merchant, buying and exporting processed leaf to Europe and other parts of the world.

Last season, it paid farmers in Migori County Sh1.2 billion for the 11.5 million kilogrammes of leaf delivered.

The firm also gave out a Sh469 million loan to the growers for farm development of the cash crop.

Other firms operating in the region include British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya and Mastermind Tobacco company.