Union Pushes for Teleperformance Kenya Probe after TikTok Moderator Dies
The Kenya Union of Gig Workers (KUGWO) is calling for an urgent investigation into the death of a Nigerian content moderator at Teleperformance Kenya—alleging workplace mistreatment and contract violations at the global outsourcing firm.
The body of the moderator—Ladi Anzaki Olubumni—was discovered in her apartment after she had been absent from work for three days without follow-up from the company.
In a press statement, the gig workers’ union expressed outrage over the incident—calling for government intervention and investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) into Olubumni’s death.
The union also requested the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to probe claims that Teleperformance violated workplace regulations including not remitting tax deductions, denying employees leave requests, and restrictive work permit conditions.
According to KUGWO, Olubumni had repeatedly requested a return ticket home—a contractual entitlement—but was allegedly denied. The union also claims that Teleperformance employees have been instructed not to discuss the incident publicly, a claim the company denies.
“We strongly condemn any attempts by Teleperformance management to silence employees who are speaking out. No worker should be subjected to inhumane treatment, unsafe working conditions, or fear of retaliation for demanding their rights,” said the union’s acting General Secretary—Ellam Brian.
Teleperformance, a multinational business process outsourcing firm, provides content moderation and customer support services for major tech platforms. “Any claims that the employee was denied leave are baseless and not true,” Teleperformance Kenya said in a response to CNN’s Larry Madowo, “We have not prohibited any employees from speaking about the employee’s unfortunate passing or about their working conditions.”
Kenya is a tech hub in the region with major social media companies and A.I companies staking their presence in Nairobi through B.P.O firms. However, there have been complaints from workers in these firms—who mostly moderate content—over poor remuneration and the disregard for their mental welfare.
The most notable case is between over 180 former moderators who worked for Samasource Kenya and American Social Media company—Meta. They are pursuing compensation for moderating Facebook content, which they say was a strenuous task that was detrimental to their mental health. Facebook defended itself by saying a Kenyan court had no legal jurisdiction over the company and that these workers were not under their terms of employment thus not liable to compensate them.
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A ruling in September last year affirmed that Meta can be sued in Kenya, a decision that would have legal repercussions for BPOs and the tech firms that contract them; even as discontent continues to rage among gig workers.
