Governor Kihika faults Senate for failing to protect flower farm workers

The Governor noted that the Senate had not enacted any laws to protect hundreds of workers and seek a rise in the minimum wages that they are receiving.

This emerged during a development tour of Naivasha which ended in Karagita estate which is home to hundreds of flower farm workers.

For years, the farm owners have been accused of underpaying their workers despite working in harsh conditions, an allegation they have denied noting that they are highly taxed by the government.

According to Kihika, the floriculture sector is one of the top foreign exchange earners in the country but the workers have nothing to show for it.

Addressing the workers on Tuesday, Kihika challenged the Senate to move with haste and enact laws that would compel the farmers to pay their workers better.

Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja also noted that flower farmers had ignored the minimum wage as per the law and were instead paying workers peanuts.

He noted that many of the workers had suffered from the effects of chemicals used in the farms adding that their working conditions should be addressed.

Lakeview MCA Alex Mbugua added his voice to the debate noting that despite earning billions of shillings, farmers had continued to pay their workers poorly.

Kihika at the same time said that she had met the organizers of the World Rally Championship (WRC) ahead of the global event in Naivasha in two weeks.

She said that they had agreed that local youths would get the first priority in job opportunities unlike past years where they were given raw deal.

On his part, Viwandani MCA Mwangi Muraya noted that they were looking forward to the World Rally Championship after the organizers promised job opportunities for local youths.