Kakuzi apologises for atrocities meted out to community

Kakuzi has apologised for the alleged atrocities meted out to members of its neighbouring community by its employees.

The company's reputation has been dented by claims of human rights violations, including killings, rapes and false imprisonment by its guards. Already, its supplies to leading UK supermarket Tesco have been suspended.

In a statement published on its website, Kakuzi says it cannot exist without the community with which its operations are strongly interlinked. It recognises that the policies and measures it has implemented to address human rights concerns have been insufficient, thus more needs to be done. 

"Kakuzi Plc apologises to all the stakeholders for the current circumstances in which we find ourselves. We are deeply disheartened by the horrible experiences reported by a section of our community,” the statement reads.

The company said it is reviewing its human rights action plan to form part of its strategy to handle human rights issues going forward.

It announced that it is engaging with the Ethical Trading Initiative, a UK-based alliance of companies, trade unions and NGOs that promote respect for workers' rights around the globe, to address the concerns raised and ensure the suspended trading with Tesco is resolved.

Tesco, Britain's biggest groceries retailer, suspended its business ties with Kakuzi after law firm Leigh Day announced that it had initiated legal action against Kakuzi’s parent company, Camellia.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 79 Kenyans, including Kakuzi employees, at the High Court in London. It accuses the company’s security guards of killings, rape, attacks and false imprisonment, some going way back to 2009.

But Kakuzi said it is a responsible corporate citizen that continuously strives to live up to the values and commitments it espouses.

Last Thursday, residents of Kinyangi, an area that neighbours the company’s vast farm, recounted their horrific ordeals. They said for a long time the firm has violated their rights. The victims want their complaints added to the suit filed in London.

Kennedy Musyoka said he was assaulted by the company’s guards in January this year after they found him cutting grass for his cattle near the company’s farm. The guards, he said, pounced on him with rungus and machetes and he had to spend three months at Kenyatta National Hospital after suffering serious injuries.

Musyoka said he is now unable to support his family as he can no longer do heavy work. He demanded compensation.

Another resident, name withheld because of the gravity of the crime reported, told of how her 14-year-old daughter was defiled by a Kakuzi guard while collecting firewood in September this year. The Form 1 student is now pregnant.

Teresia Wanjiku said she was sacked by the company after sustaining an injury at work. Wanjiku, employed in 2007, said a tractor threw a log that hit her leg and she was later dismissed without compensation.

Joseph Ndathi, a boda boda rider, said he was attacked by seemingly drunk guards while ferrying a student to school. His limbs were injured and he had to seek medication at Murang’a County Referral Hospital.

Meanwhile, human rights activists have vowed to continue seeking justice for those who have been victimised by the company.

Swaleh Githinji said the land the company sits on was acquired during colonial times and that the rights of residents should be respected.

On Tuesday, Kakuzi corporate communications manager Wilson Odiyo said the company had not received formal complaints from residents. Odiyo, also head of corporate affairs, said the firm engages more than 3,000 smallholders in contract farming.

He said Kakuzi is ready to handle any grievances from the residents, saying boycotting products from the company will hurt farmers who sell their produce through the company.

The company exports 7,600 tonnes of fruits annually, with more than 600 tonnes being sourced from small-scale farmers, mainly from Murang’a county.

Edited by F'Orieny