Murang’a and Nyeri told to spend tea earnings wisely

A tea facroty director has urged farmers from Murang’a and Nyeri to spend their bonus wisely . Kiru tea factory director Esau Kioni cautioned the farmers to be careful when spending the payments. He said sexual workers have flooded the area seeking to cash in on the farmers' money.

Speaking in Othaya yesterday, Kioni noted that this year’s tea bonus is the best well paid and so the farmers should take advantage to invest in the developmental matters. “Most of the factories in Zone III and Zone IV which are in Nyeri and Murang’a counties were paid an average of between Sh38 and Sh45 and between Sh 37 and Sh40 per kilo of green leaf respectively ,” he said.

He said wives and children should be be given part of the money because they are ones who mostly work on the tea farmers. “We know men move from their homes and go and stay in town when they receive the money. They only return home after misusing all the money. We want this time to ensure the money is spent wisely,” Kioni said.

Tea farmers countrywide will be paid a whooping Sh 45.2 billion at the end of next month as the end of financial year second payments. There are reports that commercial sexual workers have started flocking major towns in Nyeri County waiting for the payments.