The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry has demanded government protection for Thika fruit processing firm Del Monte from what local officials called "witch-hunting".

Branch chairman Kimani Kang'ethe said that, as one of Kenya's largest multinationals, the company must be assured of protection from interest groups linking it to human rights violations.

"As one of the best supporters of the economy, it needs government protection from intimidation and blackmail by some non-governmental organisations out to make political capital out of unfounded allegations," he added.

Kang'ethe was reacting to a report in Kenyan national newspaper Nation in which some women were quoted as saying they had been enticed by lobby groups to implicate Del Monte in human rights abuse.

They were reported to have claimed that they were promised land and money if they said they had been beaten and raped by the firm's guards.

Kang'ethe said Del Monte is more sinned against than sinner, citing an incident last week in which three guards were attacked and wounded by pineapple thieves. On another occasion, a guard was killed by gangsters at the plantation.

Njeru Kathangu, an official of one of the lobbies that have put Del Monte to task over human rights allegations, said many of them had good intentions in censuring the firm.

He said: "We want the company to treat the community around it with respect. We want the community to return the respect."

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