In kericho county, at Cheptaes Tea estate a nine-year old boy was killed by a self-proppeled tea-plucking machine.
According to the Brach Secretary, Dickson Sang, the young boy was playing near the machine as it was harvesting tea at the farm owned by the James Finlays Tea Company.
The secretary said the boy was curious and wanted to know how the machine operated. The young boy reportedly got inside the tea bushes where the machine was harvesting the leaves so as to get a glimpse of the blades that the machine used.
His head was chopped off in the process, before the machine tossed away his torso a distance of almost 100 metres.
A supervisor noticed clothes around the machines blades and after going to check, he discovered that it was the boys torso, sang said.
The secretary accused the company of using the machines on the farm without conducting a risk assesment and concerns that even after the accident, normal work went on in the company.
Additionaly, sang claimed that many accidents have happened since the introduction of the machines, which he said should be addressed urgently.
The James Finlay company regretted the accident, saying the company will support the family, wider community and staff.
The body of the decesed was transferred to the Kericho County Referral Hospital mortuary.
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