Moderation Nightmare: Death, Disputes, and Denial

Hi there 👋🏿 It's Brian from The Kenyan Wall Street

In today's edition, we highlight some of the gains in MTN Uganda under Sylvia Mulinge’s leadership. But first…gig workers are asking the government to probe the death of a TikTok moderator in Nairobi—suspecting she was a victim of corporate mistreatment…

Moderation Nightmare: Death, Disputes, and Denial

The plight of workers in outsourcing firms contracted by foreign tech firms and social media giants continues…

Kenya’s gig economy is facing another crisis—this time, a Nigerian content moderator at Teleperformance Kenya, Ladi Anzaki Olubumni, was found dead after being absent from work for three days, sparking outrage from the Kenya Union of Gig Workers (KUGWO). 

The union accuses the outsourcing firm of mistreatment, contract violations, and failing to follow up on her welfare. KUGWO is demanding investigations into claims of denied leave, unremitted tax deductions, and restrictive work permit conditions. Teleperformance, which moderates content for major tech firms, denies these allegations, insisting employees are free to speak. This case echoes ongoing battles in Kenya’s gig economy, including the lawsuit against Meta by ex-Facebook moderators. With Nairobi being a rising BPO hub, the fight for fair treatment and labour welfare is becoming intense. Here are the details»»»»»

Today's Poll

MTN Uganda Thrives with Sylvia’s Leadership!

Sylvia Mulinge is a beacon in Kenya’s corporate development, replicating her magic in Uganda.

MTN Uganda is thriving under CEO Sylvia Mulinge, with its stock soaring 85.6% since she took over in 2022—after a brazen career at Kenya's Safaricom as Director in the Consumer Business Unit.

The telco's 5G expansion and fintech growth helped drive a 19.5% rise in service revenue to Ush 3.1 trillion in 2024. Voice, data, and fintech all saw double-digit gains, with MoMo transactions hitting a massive Ush 158.6 trillion. Investors in the Ugandan Stock Exchange are smiling, thanks to a 32.8% dividend hike and a 30.1% boost in earnings per share. Sylvia is a seasoned executive with a commercial career spanning over 20 years in telecoms and financial services. Her visionary leadership has garnered her awards—both from government and corporate circles. Here are the details in this article»»»»»

Ola Energy Shakes Up, Jobs at Stake

Ola is one of 136 registered Oil Marketers in Kenya

Ola Energy Kenya is restructuring its operations, citing unsustainable fixed costs, and will declare staff redundancies while enhancing sales efforts.

The company, Kenya’s fourth-largest oil marketer with a 7.06% market share as of June 2024, aims to improve profitability and market presence. Ola Energy had previously initiated a rescue plan to boost sales and cut costs but now sees restructuring as necessary. The company has not disclosed the number of affected employees but assured that the process would be handled sensitively. This move reflects broader challenges in Kenya’s oil marketing sector. Further details here»»»»»

DeepSeek AI Scam: Malware Meets Hype

Cyber security experts say, ‘Beware!’

Cybercriminals are exploiting the buzz around DeepSeek AI, tricking users into downloading malware through fake websites with deceptive domain names.

Using geofencing, bot networks, and hacked business accounts, they carefully target victims while evading detection. The hackers primarily spread their malicious links on X, even hijacking an Australian company’s account to boost credibility. Once users download the fake DeepSeek software, they unknowingly install malware that grants attackers remote access. Kaspersky researchers warn that the scheme is a clever mix of AI hype, social engineering, and advanced cyber tactics. Here's what up…

Any company, any size, and in any industry can enter for a chance to be recognized by The Kenyan Wall Street’s Best Places to Work 2025 awards. The survey completion for the 2025 Awards is required by midnight on Friday, 26th September. Participate here »»»»»

More Stories :

• Public Policy : The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has ordered health facilities operating in restricted areas such as petrol stations and residential buildings to relocate within six months.

• Public Policy. The government has directed a nationwide asbestos removal initiative from all public and private facilities.

• Finance : The Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of Bank of Baroda (Kenya) Limited in a labour dispute by overturning a lower court’s decision that had declared the lender’s retirement policy discriminatory.

• Startups. Venture capital firm—Equator—has closed a US$55 million fund aimed at financing early-stage climate tech startups in Africa.

• Finance. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has proposed an overhaul of commercial banking license fees, marking the first review in 33 years.

On your watchlist