Lowri Powell – Deputy Head of News
More than 70 women had been sexually abused by their supervisors on Kenyan tea farms owned by two British companies, Unilever and James Finlay & Co.
They supply some of the UKÔÇÖs most popular brands, including PG Tips, Lipton and SainsburyÔÇÖs Red Label. These tea brands supplied SainsburyÔÇÖs, Tesco supermarkets and Starbucks.┬á
BBC Africa Eye and Panorama conducted a joint investigation which discovered evidence of sexual harassment of workers. The BBC sent secret filming to the Kenyan tea farms which showed managers pressuring the undercover reporter for sex in return for work. This led to three managers being suspended. 
A number of the tea farm workers, for both companies, spoke to BBCÔÇÖs Tom Odula, African Eye reporter. The women said they have no choice but to give in to the sexual demands or face having no income. They said work is scarce in the area.┬á
One tea farm worker said a manager claimed she could not work until she agreed to have sexual intercourse with him
ÔÇ£I canÔÇÖt lose my job because I have kidsÔÇØ, said one tea farm worker.┬á
One tea farm worker said a manager claimed she could not work until she agreed to have sexual intercourse with him, whilst another claimed she had been injected with HIV by her supervisor at work. 
The BBC recruited an undercover reporter to gather more evidence about the allegations of sexual harassment. Firstly, the undercover reporter was invited to a job interview in a hotel room. The reporter then was pinned against a window and asked to touch and undress the interviewer, Mr Chebochok. He worked on FinlayÔÇÖs tea plantations for more than 30 years, as an estate manager and then as the owner of a contracting company.┬á
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖll give you some money, then IÔÇÖll give you a job. I have helped you, help meÔÇØ, Mr Chebochok said.┬á
ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖll lie down, finish and go. Then you come and workÔÇØ.┬á
Mr Chebochok was suspended with immediate effect.
The undercover reporter did not consent to his demands. A member of the production team later phoned the undercover reporter to give her a reason to leave the hotel. 
After the BBC contacted James Finlay & Co, Mr Chebochok was suspended with immediate effect. 
The undercover reporter also attended an induction day at a tea farm, managed by Unilever. Divisional manager, Jeremiah Koskei, discussed the companyÔÇÖs zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment. This contradicted the treatment of the undercover reporter, when he invited the undercover reporter to meet him in a hotel bar and tried to pressure her into having sex with him in his compound.┬á
Later, the undercover reporter was moved to the weeding team, with long and hard days, six days a week. The supervisor, Samuel Yebei, gave the undercover reporter the option to exchange sex for lighter duties. 
Unilever was ÔÇ£deeply shocked and saddenedÔÇØ by the sexual harassment allegations made against their supervisors.┬á
Sainsbury’s said: “These horrific allegations have no place in our supply chain.” They later updated their statement saying it will “take robust action to safeguard workers” in its “tea supply chain.”
Starbucks also issued a statement following the sexual harassment allegations, saying they are “deeply concerned” and have taken “immediate action” to suspend purchasing from James Finlay & Co in Kenya.
Image courtesy of Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security via Flickr. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.
