The UK government on Wednesday, February 22, added its voice to the case of sexual harassment at a tea farm in Kenya.

Through the British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott, the United Kingdom warned that the country considers sexual exploitation a serious offence.  

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Monday, February 20, 2023, released a documentary that detailed a sexual exploitation clique of male bosses who targeted female workers at UK tea firms operating in the country. 

"Sexual abuse and exploitation has no place in society," she warned while asking the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to get to the bottom of the matter.

British High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott giving a speech during the Kenya national elections conference held on Monday, July 11, 2022. MARRIOTT'S TWITTER

Marriott urged the companies concerned to protect their workers and cooperate with the police in ensuring that the suspects are brought to book.  

"I am concerned by the allegations of appalling behaviour made in this documentary - sexual abuse and exploitation has no place in society.

"I welcome the commitment by the companies to investigate, cooperate with the Kenyan authorities, and take action to protect staff in Kenya," Jane Marriott noted. 

The UK-based farm, James Finlay, which operates in Kenya on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, announced that it had sacked two contractors who were featured in the BBC exposé.

"We have terminated our agreement with John Chebochok’s company Sislo Holdings. All 300 contractors who were working with us through Sislo have been offered direct employment to ensure their livelihoods are not affected – 98 per cent have accepted," noted the firm in a statement.

James Finlay explained the fired employees were not allowed to return to the company without legal provisions of the land. 

"We have also suspended John Asava. Both individuals have been barred from entering James Finlay Kenya," James Finlay noted.  

According to Section 6 of the Employment Act, an employee is deemed to have been sexually harassed if the employer, its representative or a co-worker requests for any form of sexual favour in order to get preferential treatment at the workplace.

In Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act, a convicted person could be jailed for at least three years, or fined Ksh100,000, or both for engaging in sexual harassment.

Tea farmers in the field  FILE  By Mark Obar, Kenyans.co.ke