Konoin MP Brighton Yegon grilled by police over invasion of Kericho tea farms

Konoin Member of Parliament Brighton Yegon has been questioned by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI) over the invasion of multinational tea companies in Kericho County.

Yegon, who was grilled in Bomet County on Friday, stated that the violence emerged following concerns by a section of residents who claim that they lost their jobs after the adoption of tea plucking machines by tea factories in the region.

In the chaos that erupted outside Ekaterra tea estate on May 22, 2023, seven tea plucking machines were torched by angry residents who destroyed property worth millions of shillings.

According to the Chairperson of Kenya Tea Growers Association Silas Njibwakale, in the past six months alone, Ekaterra tea estate and James Finlay have lost Ksh.170 million through theft of tea in farms and destruction of property.

So far, Kericho Governor Eric Mutai, Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat and 8 MCAs from Kericho and Bomet counties have been interrogated.

The leaders have urged residents to maintain peace.