ETI letter to Kenya Tea Board regarding candidacy of John Chebochok in KTDA factory elections.

Last week, ETI learned that John Chebochok, is standing for election as Director of the TEGAT Tea Factory, a KTDA factory. Chebochok was featured the BBC’s Africa Eye and Panorama programmes documenting the sexual exploitation of women working in Kenya’s tea industry. The broadcast included detailed testimony of sexual exploitation from women workers, as well as undercover footage implicating Chebochok as a key perpetrator. 

Complaints, petitions, and calls to the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and Kenya Tea Board have been made by ETI and key civil society and industry stakeholders, condemning his candidacy and calling for his removal. Some progress has been seen, with the Kenya Tea Board’s recent call for a delay to the elections, to allow them and other relevant government agencies to undertake necessary investigations into the allegations, but Chebochok’s candidacy remains a cause for concern. His candidacy risks tarnishing the reputation of the Kenyan brand for tea and undermines the work concerned stakeholders across Kenya’s tea industry have been undertaking to combat the endemic sexual exploitation and gender-based violence faced by too many workers.

We have also witnessed the unrest in Nairobi, would like to express our concern for anyone affected and hope that calm can be restored quickly. We have alerted ETI company members sourcing from Kenya to these developments and continue to support efforts by key civil society and industry stakeholders calling for Chebochok’s immediate removal from the election process, an official investigation of the allegations against him, and justice to be delivered for survivors of sexual violence and harassment exposed by the BBC.

We actively support Kenyan industry and remain willing to engage constructively to ensure that Kenyan’s can enjoy decent working standards and meet emerging legislation in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

This letter was sent to the CEO/ Chairman of the Kenya Tea Board and Kenyan High Commissioner to the UK.