Five arrested as TBK intensifies South Rift tea weighing checks
At least five clerks have been arrested as the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) intensifies inspections of weighing equipment in tea-growing areas across the South Rift following complaints by farmers over alleged manipulation of tea weights at buying centres.
The arrests were made during an impromptu operation in Buret, Kericho County.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh said the operation was part of efforts to ensure tea farmers receive payment based on the actual quantity of produce delivered.
“We will not allow the weight of a farmer’s tea to be manipulated at the buying centre,” Rono said.
He said he had directed TBK, working with the Department of Weights and Measures and multi-agency teams, to intensify inspections of weighing equipment across tea-growing areas.
“Following complaints raised by tea farmers, I directed the Tea Board of Kenya, working with the Department of Weights and Measures and multi-agency teams, to intensify inspections of weighing equipment across tea-growing areas,” he said.
Ronoh said the directive was already being implemented, with the five clerks arrested over alleged falsification of weighing scales.
The allegations are subject to investigations and due process.
The Buret operation follows a similar exercise conducted last month in Konoin, Bomet County, where several clerks were arrested after farmers raised complaints about the weighing process.
The latest arrests have heightened scrutiny of the systems used to record tea deliveries at buying centres and factories, where the weight of green leaf determines the payments made to farmers.
Ronoh said accurate weighing was central to protecting farmers’ earnings and warned that the government would not tolerate practices that undermine the integrity of tea transactions.
“The integrity of the weighing process is fundamental to protecting farmers’ earnings,” he said.
“Every kilogram delivered must be accurately recorded and paid for. There will be no shortcuts.”
The South Rift, comprising major tea-growing counties such as Kericho and Bomet, has thousands of farmers who depend on tea for their livelihoods.
Concerns over weighing procedures have previously emerged in tea-growing areas, with farmers calling for tighter monitoring of clerks, calibrated equipment and records used by factories.
TBK and the other agencies involved are expected to continue inspections and investigate complaints received from growers.
The operations are aimed at ensuring weighing equipment is accurate, properly maintained and not manipulated during the buying process.
The arrests also come as the government seeks to strengthen accountability in the tea sector and improve confidence among farmers over the handling and payment of their produce.
Ronoh said the government would continue taking action against anyone found compromising the accuracy of tea deliveries.
The five clerks will face the relevant legal processes as investigations into the alleged falsification of weighing scales continue.
Comments