Employees at Deputy President William Ruto’s farm Taita Taveta farm on Monday, April 11, took to the streets protesting the non-payment of their wages.
Addressing journalists at the farm’s gate in Mata village, the casual laborers said they had gone up to six weeks without pay.
The laborers said they decided to protest after the management at the William Ruto linked farm failed to address their plight and vowed to continue with their strike until they are paid.
“We see that business is going on well and the company is not facing any financial crisis. We will not return to work until our salaries are paid,” Alex Saidi, one of the protesters told the Daily Nation.
Apart from delayed payments, the workers further complained of what they said was harassment by a senior manager identified as Arie Dempers.
Fred Mashauri, one of the workers said they were being subjected to poor working conditions as well as low wages.
He said he is being paid a minimum of KSh 300 despite working from morning to late evening.
That though he had worked on the farm for five years, he was yet to be absorbed as a permanent employee.
“He tells us that if we don’t want to work we should leave. He is very hostile to the workers,” he claimed.
In 2020, Arie was also accused of diverting water meant for public use onto the farm, denying the neighboring community the precious commodity.
The 1,000-acre Kisima farm rears cattle and does maize growing.
Last month, Kivumbi.co.ke reported that the office of Deputy President William Ruto sensationally claimed that it has not been receiving operational funds from the Treasury.
“The office of the deputy president has not received money from the National Treasury. All the departments are affected. We are told it affects the entire government,
“The Office of the Deputy President has made its own arrangements to ensure operations are not interrupted. Fortunately, the PSC has been paying staff salaries,” William Ruto’s communication Director Emmanual Talam said.
