abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

18 Jan 2023

Author:
Cyrus Ombati, The Star (Kenya)

Kenya: Nine-year-old boy killed by plucking machine at James Finlay estate

See all tags Allegations

"Boy, 9, killed by tea plucking machine in Kericho"

A nine-year-old boy was Monday killed by a self-propelled tea-plucking machine at the Cheptabes Tea estate in Kericho.

The Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union Kericho branch secretary, Dickson Sang said the boy was playing near the machine as it was harvesting tea at the farm owned by the James Finlays Tea Company when the incident happened.

Sang said the boy wanted to know how the machines operate.

He got into the tea bushes where the machine was passing through to have a glimpse of how the tea harvesting blades work.

It was then his head was chopped off in the process before the machine tossed his away his torso a distance of almost 100 meters.

"A supervisor on duty noticed there were some clothes around the blades and after going to check, he discovered that it was the boy's torso," he said.

He claimed many accidents have happened since the introduction of the machines, which he said should be addressed urgently.

The plucking machines have since been grounded as investigators work on the case, police said.

James Finlay Company's corporate department regretted the accident, saying the company will support the family, wider community and staff.

They said they were working closely with the investigating authorities, and that it had reviewed the operation of the self-propelled tea harvesters in their company and had launched investigations to establish how the accident happened.

Privacy information

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies. You can set your privacy choices below. Changes will take effect immediately.

For more information on our use of web storage, please refer to our Data Usage and Cookies Policy

Strictly necessary storage

ON
OFF

Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.

Analytics cookie

ON
OFF

When you access our website we use Google Analytics to collect information on your visit. Accepting this cookie will allow us to understand more details about your journey, and improve how we surface information. All analytics information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you. Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out add on for all popular browsers.

Promotional cookies

ON
OFF

We share news and updates on business and human rights through third party platforms, including social media and search engines. These cookies help us to understand the performance of these promotions.

Your privacy choices for this site

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies to enhance your experience beyond necessary core functionality.