Bereaved families and politicians have raised alarm about continued killings on Del Monte's pineapple farm in Kenya, despite the company hiring G4S to replace its in-house security team after previous deaths were exposed by the Guardian.

Three men, including two brothers, were killed in separate incidents over the past year allegedly involving G4S guards. Stephen Marubu Kibandi, 34, was shot in the chest by a police officer working alongside G4S guards after allegedly raising his hands in surrender, according to a witness.

His brother, Haron Kame Kibandi, 27, died in April after allegedly being struck on the head by stones thrown by G4S guards and falling from a motorbike. A third man, 31-year-old Michael Muiruri, was killed after being knocked off a motorbike by a G4S pickup truck.

In 2023, the Guardian revealed allegations about the killing of four men at the farm over a decade. In March 2024, Del Monte Kenya outsourced all security at the farm to a team of 270 G4S guards.

A Kenyan senator has called for an independent investigation into the violence at the farm. Local residents claim G4S guards have used vehicles as weapons against those suspected of stealing.

G4S denies wrongdoing, stating that the matters relate to police operations or traffic accidents. Del Monte Kenya says it investigates instances of wrongdoing and takes appropriate action.

Source: www.theguardian.com