Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has termed the ongoing chaos in Kericho over tea-plucking machines as economic sabotage.
Pointing his finger at the government, the legislator questioned why the police have not arrested any person involved in the torching of the tea-plucking machines.
"This is economic sabotage. All these thugs should be charged with economic sabotage. Why is this even allowed?" Alai posed.
The ODM MCA further said that mechanisation is what will give this country an edge over the rest
"Tea is the country’s largest export. The fact that your kin can torch multi-billion machines without any recourse to the victims is scary. I declare your government an enemy of development," Alai added.
Alai was reacting to how the dispute between residents of the South Rift and multinational tea companies on Tuesday took a different twist, with the torching of green leaf plucking machines and trucks at Ekaterra company in Kericho County.
As a result, two mechanical machines, known as Valian, more than seven motorised hand machines, and a tractor were torched by protesters on the Kapgorech tea estate next to Brooke trading centre.
Also, Five police officers and a journalist were injured by stones thrown at them, while one youth was reportedly injured and taken to hospital.
After torching the machines, they drove one of them to Brooke trading centre, more than four kilometers away, and torched it by the roadside after driving around in it.
