Families allege killings continued on Del Monte pineapple farm in Kenya after G4S security was hired

Del Monte Kenya operations have again come under scrutiny after bereaved families said killings on or near the company’s pineapple farm continued even after Del Monte hired the private security firm G4S to provide security following earlier deaths that, according to The Guardian, were exposed in reporting. The newspaper reported that three men were killed in separate incidents over the past year and that the incidents involved or were connected to security personnel, though it was not described as a conclusion in the reporting.

According to The Guardian, the dispute centers on how security is run at the farm and what safeguards are in place to protect workers and nearby communities. Families said they have raised alarms to authorities and public officials as they tried to understand why deadly incidents persisted after the company changed its security arrangements.

The newspaper also reported that Del Monte replaced its in-house security team with G4S after previous deaths were publicly reported, prompting a fresh change intended to address security concerns. The families interviewed by The Guardian said the later killings have undermined that rationale and intensified calls for independent answers, improved accountability, and faster investigation of what happened in each incident.

The Guardian said politicians and bereaved families have sought attention for what they described as a continuing pattern of violence affecting workers at the pineapple farm. The reporting characterized the situation as a public safety and institutional accountability issue, with families pressing for clarity on whether security failures or misconduct played a role and on what actions have been taken in response.

The newspaper did not indicate, in the material available here, that any court findings have yet established criminal responsibility for the security incidents it described. It described the allegations as being linked to security guards and the change in security providers, while leaving the legal status of any claims to ongoing or separate processes.

Del Monte Kenya’s security change and the follow-on allegations also raise questions about how private security contracts intersect with public policing and investigations. When incidents occur in or around large-scale industrial worksites, authorities typically determine whether they will treat events as criminal matters, occupational safety issues, or both, and then decide what oversight mechanisms apply to contractors and their personnel.

For residents and workers who say they have lost family members, the immediate next steps are likely to depend on what investigators do with witness accounts and incident documentation, and whether prosecutors pursue charges. Public pressure, including from local officials, can affect how quickly hearings and administrative reviews proceed and whether future security arrangements are modified.

In Kenya, as elsewhere, disputes involving private contractors and alleged violence on worksites often test the boundaries between company responsibility and law enforcement authority. The outcome of investigations and any subsequent legal proceedings will be central to determining whether security arrangements changed in practice or whether earlier issues persisted under a new contractor.