The parliamentary select committee investigating alleged sexual harassment and exploitation of female tea workers in tea companies visited Kericho to launch investigations into claims made against the management of James Finlay’s and Ekaterra multinational tea companies.

Members of the Departmental Committee on Labour led by Erick Muchangi, stated that they are investigating claims of sexual harassment and exploitation of female tea workers at the two companies.

Kericho Woman Representative Beatrice Kemei raised her concerns on the female sexual harassment and exploitation of female workers leading to the visit by the committee to carry out their own investigations to ascertain the claims.

“We are finding it a challenge, but are looking for a way of establishing whether the allegations are true. We are looking for a victim who can give us actual information of what transpired in the tea farms then we can compile a report that we are going to present to Parliament,” Muchangi said.

He said that due to lack of enough information, there have been allegations that the investigation is economic sabotage while others are saying that the matter is in court in Scotland while others believe it’s a matter to do with sexual exploitation.

However, Muchangi reiterated that as a committee, they will carry out the investigations and report to the August house within 21 days.

The team noted that they have held meetings with the county security team at the County Commissioner’s office where they gathered information from County labour officers, officers of the Ministry of Labour and the human resource personnel.

Mr Muchangi said that they were glad that the County Woman MP Ms Beatrice Kemei came along with them adding that they were also expecting the Senate departmental committee on labour to join them to establish the claims of sexual harassment in the tea farms in Kericho.

Woman Representative Beatrice Kemei asked the female tea workers in the tea estates to be fearless and speak out about their predicament and volunteer much-needed information while urging the tea companies not to conspire with the workers in curtailing vital information to the team.

“I want to ask our people to come out since one of the areas of concern that we got from the security people, gender and labour officers is the issue of culture whereby people fear to come out and talk of sexual harassment,” Kemei remarked.

The story of sexual harassment of female tea workers in the tea estates featured prominently on a BBC Africa TV documentary last month, with the same documentary going viral on social media.