Workers at the government-owned Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation have come forward with a serious complaint.
They say they have gone eleven months without receiving their salaries even though they continue to report for duty every day. The situation has left many employees and their families struggling to cover basic needs such as rent, food, school fees and medical costs.
According to the workers, one of them earns about KSh 8,110 a month. Over eleven months that amounts to roughly KSh 89,210 in unpaid wages. For people living on such modest incomes, going nearly a full year without pay is a heavy burden.
They still show up to work and carry out their tasks, yet the money they have already earned has not reached them.
Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation is a state enterprise. Its role is to protect important forests and water towers by creating buffer zones where tea and other crops are grown. The corporation operates across twenty-two of these zones that cover nine critical forest areas. Because it is a government body, workers expected that salaries would be paid regularly. Instead, they say the arrears have piled up under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Dr David Chepkwony and Board Chairman Mr Patrice Chumba.
The employees have submitted their complaint anonymously for their own protection. In their message they explain the hardship their families now face and appeal for help. They are asking the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, elected leaders, human rights groups and the public to look into the matter and ensure the outstanding wages are paid.
This is not the first time questions have been raised about payments at the corporation. In July 2025, Tetu Member of Parliament Geoffrey Wandeto called on the government to address long-standing unpaid salaries and benefits owed to former workers. Earlier parliamentary investigations also examined claims involving hundreds of former employees who had not received their dues.
An Auditor General’s report for the year ending June 2023 further noted problems with the payroll, including cases where staff took home less than one-third of their basic pay after deductions.
The latest complaint therefore adds to a longer pattern of concern. Workers stress that they have already done the work and simply want to be paid what they are owed. They hope the relevant authorities will act quickly so that the financial pressure on their families can be eased.
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