A group of Kisumu residents protested outside East African Breweries on Thursday following reports that no locals had been hired.
They camped
outside the premises for hours and said they would not permit the "importation of workers yet there are qualified and capable locals".
The placards they carried read
“No importation of workers" and "We must be employed”.
/FAITH MATETE
Obunga resident
Dennis Onyango said they demanded that their grievances
be addressed after claims that many of the company's workers are non-locals.
Onyango said they felt sidelined yet the company took on a project that would see the provision of more job opportunities.
“Following this, we talked to the manager who told us they would give our people opportunities. The manager said they were working on the mode of choosing employees."
Rose Mwamba told The Star they were fighting for their rights as members of the host community.
“It’s very clear that when such projects are undertaken, communities should be given the first priority. That is not the case here."
The residents admitted responding
to speculation as the claim had not been substantiated.
“We were told we will be given the list of people working there, through our leaders, for confirmation. We are looking forward to that,” said Mark Onyango.
The plant will produce Senator Keg, made using locally-sourced sorghum; EABL wants to recruit more than 15,000 farmers with guaranteed market for the crop.
This will see an increase in demand for sorghum and an improvement in the lives of small-scale farmers.
President Uhuru Kenyatta lauded EABL for introducing Senator Keg when he announced plans for the Sh15 billion brewery on June 28.
The President noted EABL is targeting sorghum farmers from Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Nyeri, Machakos and Tharaka Nithi counties.
He also noted that one of his administration's main aims is to empower both the public and private sectors.