Newscasts - Kenya police probe deaths on Del Monte pineapple farm

Del Monte

28/12/2023 13:55

Click the following link to watch video: https://share.newscasts.refinitiv.com/link?entryId=1_5foel1ww&referenceId=tag:reuters.com,2023:newsml_RW855728122023RP1_K15&pageId=Newscasts
Source: 'Reuters - General news videos'

Description: Multinational food company Del Monte has said it is cooperating
with authorities over the suspected killings of four men on one of its
pineapple farms near Kenya's capital Nairobi. David Doyle has more.
Short Link: https://refini.tv/48b5lLR

Video Transcript:

An investigation is underway into the suspected killings of four men on a Del
Monte pineapple farm near Nairobi, Kenyan police said on Wednesday. That is
months after a media report said security guards on the same farm had killed
and assaulted trespassing villagers. Friends and relatives of the dead from
the latest incident have urged the government to intervene. They want to know
how the four alleged victims ended up in a river around 25 miles from the
Kenyan capital. Rhoda Wayua says she found her son's body on Monday.

After a while, the body washed down the river and got lodged here where the
other body was also stuck. I recognized him from his attire and his hair
because he had dreadlocks.

Del Monte said its local operating unit was cooperating with the authorities.
It also alleged there was rampant organized crime around pineapple theft in
the region. The multinational food company claimed security footage had shown
no foul play on Del Monte's part. It said what it described as "thieves" could
be seen running away from security guards towards a river. But another
relative, Peter Kamanzi, claimed at least one of the deceased has sustained
injuries that may have contributed to his death.

He was clearly killed. You can still see the blood oozing from his head and
his neck is scarred.

Earlier this year, a joint investigation by Britain's Bureau of Investigative
Journalism and The Guardian newspaper found evidence that they said showed
security guards working for Del Monte had killed and brutally assaulted
villagers suspected of trespassing on the Kenyan pineapple farm. Del Monte
said at the time it had initiated investigations, supported by an independent
review by a specialist human rights consultancy