Kenya county stops use of tea-plucking machines

In Nandi county, a tea farming area in Kenya, the use of tea-plucking machines has been recently banned. This is expected to solve several issues besetting the county. According to a report by The Star, the local Labour and Social assembly argued the case saying that thousands of workers have lost their jobs in the past three years as they have been replaced by tea-plucking machines imported by multi-national tea companies. These machines were imported from China and were assembled ready for use.

The Kiptindinyo Ruto-Kapsimotwo ward supported the assembly’s claim. Although the ward was not disfavouring the use of technology in tea production, it said that the use of tea-plucking machines poses a health threat to the operators as a result of machine vibration.

Moreover, the report said that schools and villages were being converted in favour of growing tea which worries the county.