Kenya tea company suspends operations after protesters burn harvesting machines

A woman picks tea leaves in Chepsonoi, Nandi county, in western Kenya (Brian Inganga/AP/PA)

A multinational tea company based in Kenya has suspended operations after tea plucking and harvesting machines were burned by protesters citing massive job losses because of mechanisation.

The suspension of operations at the Ekaterra tea company’s South Rift region farms will affect thousands of employees.