Kericho Tea Farmers in Court Over 2007 Election Violence

Kenyan employees of the British Multinational Unilever Plc have been given the go-ahead to present their case against Unilever Tea Kenya to the British Supreme Court.

The employees are seeking damages from the company’s Kenya subsidiary Unilever Tea.

The workers from Kericho have taken the company to court for failing to take charge of their safety and failure to protect them from harm following the 2007 post election violence.

[caption caption="A number of tea farmers working in a plantation"][/caption]

The 218 tea farmers include families of 11 victims who were murdered during the violence.

They claim that the company had placed them at risk because many workers were not from the tribes in the area which made them likely targets of brutal killings and crime.

They also have it that experts in the company were responsible for ensuring proper crisis management procedures were in place and individuals were trained how to handle themselves.

The farmers will appeal the case after the UK High Court ruled that Unilever owed them no duty of care.

It was also decided that Kenyan courts were better placed to handle the case in accordance with what is fair, just and reasonable in a Kenyan context.

The Court of Appeal had dismissed the first appeal citing that claimants had not presented a good arguable claim against Unilever.

UK human rights group had pilled pressure on the company urging it to take responsibility for the case.

[caption caption="Kericho tea plantations"][/caption]

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