• The county government wants 3,000 acres near the highway where its water and irrigation infrastructure is located
• Delmonte employs thousands of people, most of them from Murang'a
Workers at Delmonte Kenya say that many of them will lose jobs if the company cedes part of its land to the Murang’a county government.
The workers, in a letter to the county government, ask the devolved unit to stop demanding land from the company.
Delmonte employs thousands of people, most of them from Murang'a.
Stanley Ngugi, who works in the research department, said the Delmonte land belonged to colonial sisal farmers, contrary to claims by members of Kandara Residents Association that it was grabbed from their forefathers.
Ngugi, who has been with the company since 1998 and comes from Kandara, said the national government had in 1963 struck a deal with the colonial farmers under which the land was leased for 100 years.
He said the company contributes a lot to the treasuries of both Murang’a and Kiambu counties.
Jacob Mutemwa said the company has over 6,000 employees and asked the county government to stop blocking the renewal of the lease. Thousands of local people earn their living by selling their farm produce to Delmonte workers.
Mutemwa noted that the locals also benefit from services such as education, sports and health facilities provided by the company.
Esther Njambi lost her husband in 2006 and her job at the company is the source of support for her family.
“I am asking you to allow the lease renewal so that our work will continue uninterrupted,” Njambi says in the letter to Governor Mwangi wa Iria.
Paul Kang’ethe, a Wa Iria supporter, said “... we are greatly concerned by your decision to take over part of Delmonte land. I humbly appeal to you to reconsider your decision for our sake and take a softer stance.”
The county government is demanding 3,000 acres from the company "to establish a modern city".
The company has six cases pending in court against the lease renewal.
Last month, Delmonte managing director Stergios Gkaliamoutsas said the company cannot cede the land near the highway as that is where its entire water and irrigation infrastructure is located.
He said ceding this land would kill the plantation that sits on 22,000 acres.
Stergios said the company has already ceded 635 uncultivated acres to the Kiambu county government.
Earlier in the year, the Director of Survey ordered a resurvey of the property.