In what is seen as a move to redeem its tainted image and restore confidence to the public, Delmonte Kenya Ltd has fired 250 security guards replacing them with 270 guards from G4S firm.

The move comes amid protests by the sacked guards who staged demos outside Delmonte Canary factory offices as the bad news rented the air that the company had fired them.

The former security guards led by Willy Zakayo who is the Chief shop steward blamed COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli for their woes saying he sanctioned their sacking without giving them audience.

They said they were sacked without notice and want the government to intervene and ensure they get justice.

But in a quick rejoinder, Delmonte Kenya’s acting deputy managing director Wayne Cook defended the company’s action saying it was geared towards addressing the effects of well coordinated criminal operations targeting their plantations where gangs of youths armed with machetes have been invading their fields and stealing large volumes of pineapples.

Cook, in a press release, said the safety and security of each individual within the company and the surrounding community was paramount, adding that the action they have taken comes as a response to recommendations from a recent Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) which endorsed outsourcing security personnel as part of best practices.

“In alignment with the HRIA findings Delmonte Kenya has engaged G4S Kenya to oversee security operations given the company’s reputation and expertise in matters pertaining to security fields,” said Cook.

He said G4S will deploy approximately 270 security personnel who Have undergone extensive trainings in dealing with pineapples thieves and the surrounding community.

Delmonte Company which is the single largest exporter of Kenyan produce to the world has in the recent past been endowed with great controversy with allegations of killings with all fingers pointing to their security guards.

Human rights groups have accused the multinational fruit juice processor of human rights abuses after discovery of a body floating over one of their farm dams recently, a case that is still under investigation.

But the company has continuously denied the claims of brutal assaults and the killings blaming pineapples thieves of unleashing terror to their unarmed guards.

The company has 6,500 workers employed directly and 28,000 others who are indirectly employed by the firm.