Tea estate workers in Kericho form the backbone of the industry, though their working conditions and compensation have historically been among the poorest in Kenya's formal economy. The workforce consists predominantly of women, who comprise approximately 70 to 80 percent of tea pickers, alongside male workers in supervisory roles, processing facilities, and maintenance. Tea picking is labour-intensive, requiring workers to harvest tender young leaves by hand throughout the growing season.
Working conditions on Kericho estates have included low piece-rate wages (paid per kilogram of tea picked), inadequate housing provided by employers, limited access to clean water and sanitation, and minimal benefits. These conditions sparked numerous labour disputes and unionisation efforts, particularly through the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) and estate-specific unions. Wage strikes and collective bargaining have periodically disrupted production, forcing negotiations with estate management. Despite improvements in recent decades, tea workers remain among Kenya's lowest-paid formal sector employees, though employment on estates provides crucial income for thousands of families.
See Also
Luhya, Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Conservation, Conservation Timeline
Sources
- International Labour Organization. (2019). "Working Conditions in Global Tea Production". https://www.ilo.org/
- Kariuki, J. & Kipchoge, E. (2013). "Labour Rights and Estate Worker Unionisation in Kenya's Tea Sector". Social Policy Review, 25, 189-212. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress
- Makina, R. (2020). "Women Tea Pickers and Economic Vulnerability in Kericho County". Nairobi: Institute of Policy Research and Analysis. https://ipra.org.ke/