This archive report was first published on 19 May 2020.
Camellia Plc, the parent company of Kakuzi Limited, is bracing itself for claims running into hundreds of millions of shillings arising from alleged human rights abuses in its African operations.
According to a trading update, the multinational had spent Sh462 million to prepare its legal defence against the charges of various crimes including assault and sexual misconduct.
The alleged abuses were carried out by its employees in its African subsidiaries, which were not identified specifically.
Camellia's operations in Africa include Kakuzi (in which it owns a 50.7 percent stake), Eastern Produce Kenya, Eastern Produce Malawi, Eastern Produce Cape (South Africa) and Eastern Produce Tanzania.
As stated in its trading update of January 2020, Camellia and a number of its subsidiary companies have received notification of claims to be made in the UK relating to allegations made by multiple individuals concerning two of those companies' African operations.
The allegations are of serious assault, harassment and sexual misconduct allegedly committed by certain individuals employed by those two foreign operating companies.
Camellia said it takes any complaint of criminality, misconduct, illegality, or unethical behaviour extremely seriously.
Costs incurred since notification of these claims in 2019 to the end of March 2020 amount to £3.5 million (Sh462 million),
May 19, 2020, Kakuzi has over the years battled various claims and charges, including allegations that it is the beneficiary of thousands of acres of land that was originally acquired illegally from locals during the colonial days.
