A Nigerian lady, Ladi Anzaki Olubumni, living and working in Nairobi, was found dead in her apartment on Friday, March 7, after missing work for three days, sparking an outrage among gig workers in Kenya.
According to CNN journalist Larry Madowo, Olubumni had moved to Kenya to work as a content moderator for TikTok in 2022 and had not seen her family since.
She had been contracted by one of the leading outsourcing companies in the world, which brings together Africans across the continent to work in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.
However, despite being entitled to a return ticket to her country of origin each year, her colleagues reported that she had been denied leave due to concerns about her work permit and a reportedly toxic work culture.
Reportedly, most moderators at the outsourcing company did not have work permits and thus were not allowed to go home as they might not come back or be harassed and extorted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
However, the company denied any of these allegations, even releasing a statement revealing that they have been in constant contact with the family and local authorities to get to the bottom of the death.
They also denied claims that they had asked the other employees not to speak on the case, although Madowo noted that he had yet to find a colleague willing to speak to him on the matter.
Angered by the incident, the Kenya Union of Gig Workers (KUGWO) released a statement on Monday, March 10, calling on several government agencies to intervene.
"The Kenya Union of Gig Workers (KUGWO) is deeply outraged and saddened by the tragic and disturbing death of Ladi Anzaki Olubumni, a Nigerian national and employee of Teleperformance Kenya, who was reportedly found deceased in her apartment after her absence from work went unchecked for three days," part of the statement read.
"Reports indicate that Ms. Olubumni had repeatedly requested leave and a return ticket home as per her contract but was unjustly denied. Additionally, concerns have been raised about unremitted tax deductions, unfair work permit restrictions, and lack of proper benefits for employees."
The union demanded that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) determine the exact circumstances surrounding her death and that the Ministry of Labour investigate labour law violations, wage deductions, and worker mistreatment at the organisation.
KUGWO also urged the outsourcing company to allow its workers to join trade unions that can collectively organise and represent their rights as per Article 41 of the Constitution of Kenya.
At the time of publishing this article, the detailed circumstances leading up to her death are yet to be unraveled.
These allegations of a toxic work culture come on the heels of another scandal involving Facebook content moderators in Kenya, who have sued the outsourcing company that hired them for toxic work culture and meagre pay.
They also claim that they were misinformed about the type of content they would be reviewing, leading to a whopping 140 of them being diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to court documents.
