Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

Tea farmers in the South Rift region who are expecting their bonus payment next week have been warned to keep away from towns to avoid the ugly scene of losing their money to twilight girls and conmen posing as “fake money-makers”.

This warning came from the chairman of the Small Scale Tea owners Association South Rift branch Joel {Bwana Maendeleo} Chepkwony.

Speaking to this writer at the posh Tea Hotel in Kericho Town. Chepkwony said that he had received information that big towns and trading centers within the region are currently under invasion of twilight girls and conmen posing as “Fake Currency” makers with the purpose of preying on the farmer’s sweats.

Owners of hotels, lodges and guest houses in the regions have also been advised not to accommodate suspicious characters be thy men or women in their facilities, especially men and women of no fixed abode.

In this context, Chepkwony said he had in minds the towns like Kericho, Bomet, Litein , Sondu, Sotik and Mogogosiek.

He said he had received information that twilight girls have been pouring into the region from as far as Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Miori Isebania and even from far field like in the neighboring Tanzania to come and capitalize on the boon time of tea bonuses payment, which is reported to be in excess of Kshs 8 billion for the South Rift region alone.

Chepkwony advised to receive their payments through their bank accounts or accounts or get their cash money from the nearby Tea Farmers SACCO offices within their localities. The Tea SACCOS are well spread in small trading centers like Kapsoi, Litein, Mogogosiek, Bomet.

“As soon as the farmers got their money, they should go home and plan well how to pay for their children schools fees, how to improve their family lives maintain their tea bushes to the highest standard and make good saving for other family overheads,” said Bwana Maendeleo.

He went on,” past experiences where some farmer ended up losing the entire amount their earning from tea bonuses to prostitutes and the conmen masquerading as money doublers, the groups commonly known as “Wash Wash”. Farmers should spend their hard earned money wisely, pay their farm hands, debts, build good dwelling houses for their families or improved the existing ones and paint the region good.

‘He pleaded with the farmers to void drinking joins and mixing up with people of suspicious characters and strangers. The only sensible way of avoid such characters is to stay at home with the families and pan ell for the future.

Chepkwny also appealed to he Kenya Tea Board not to license any more privately owned green leaves tea processing factories in the region unless the investors are compelled to offer 50 per cent share equity to the tea farmers. There re two existing privately owned tea factories in Belgut region, one at Kabianga and the other one is located at Chemamul. The investors in this facility must be forced to sale 50 per cent of their shares to the tea growers.

He said if this is not effected with immediate, the farmer would consider other positive actions, which may involved denying these factories the regular supply of green tea leaves from his organization’s members to force them out of business

Ends.