Kenya's parliament was rocked by the recent BBC documentary exposing sexual abuse on tea plantations. The documentary revealed more than 70 women had been abused by their managers at plantations operated by two British companies, Unilever and James Finlay. Shocked and appalled by the allegations, the Fairtrade Foundation called the investigation a #MeToo moment for tea. Lawmakers, including Beatrice Kemei and Beatrice Elachi, were equally disgusted by the entrenched sexual harassment at "tea multinationals operating in our country". In response, Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei ordered a committee of MPs to investigate the allegations within two weeks.
The BBC investigation uncovered horrific accounts of women being infected with HIV and having their job prospects destroyed if they refused their supervisors' sexual advances. Even a BBC undercover reporter, who posed as a job seeker, was sexually harassed during a job interview by a recruiter for James Finlay & Co. Despite Unilever's "zero tolerance" approach to sexual harassment, evidence shows allegations of sexual harassment were not being acted on.
British supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury's condemned the allegations and promised to take robust action to safeguard workers in their supply chain. Starbucks also suspended purchasing from James Finlay & Co in Kenya. Both companies suspended managers and launched full and independent investigations. Unilever, however, sold its operation in Kenya while the BBC was secretly filming.
The BBC documentary has shed light on the widespread sexual abuse taking place in the Kenyan tea industry. The investigation has exposed the lack of action taken by British companies and calls for more to be done to protect the women working on tea plantations
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