The Price of an Unfair Dismissal

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

In today's edition, we focus on a fascinating court battle between GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical and an employee who claims that the firm's hiring and promotion procedures were unfair. 

But here are also other stories we have for you…

The Price of an Unfair Dismissal

The Employment and Labor Relations Court found that GSK terminated an employee unlawfully, highlighting instances of power abuse.

A Nairobi court just handed GlaxoSmithKline Kenya a legal headache, ruling they unfairly fired sales exec Pauline Wambui Gichuki.

Her alleged crime? Blowing the whistle on shady hiring practices—only to be hit with a suspicious misconduct probe and fired right after maternity leave. The court slammed GSK for a botched disciplinary process, ordering them to cough up damages. Meanwhile, Gichuki’s career took a hit, but her courtroom win is a big slap on the wrist for corporate malpractice in Kenya. The full story here»»»»»

Today's Poll

Last Friday's Poll Results

Are you optimistic about Private Equity Investment in Kenya over the next few months?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes (75%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Nop (25%)

Food Prices Climb: Sugar & Oil Lead the Charge

The FAO Food Price Index, which measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities…

Global food prices jumped 1.6% in February, driven by rising sugar, dairy, and vegetable oil costs, according to the FAO.

🔺Sugar saw the steepest increase at 6.6% due to poor harvests in Brazil and India.

🔺Vegetable oil prices surged on lower output in Southeast Asia.

🔺Wheat and maize prices crept up over supply concerns.

🔺Rice prices fell sharply as production outpaced demand.

🔺Meanwhile, 45 countries—mostly in Africa—are in urgent need of food assistance, with war and instability worsening hunger in places like Gaza and Sudan.

More details on global food prices here»»»»»

Ad Spending Soars as Print Media Takes a Hit

Majority of sectors known for spending on advertising scaled down their budgets on local print media platforms

Advertising spending in Kenya grew by 11% from KSh 18 billion to KSh 20 billion between Q1 and Q2 2024/25, with sectors like transport, tourism, and retail increasing their budgets, while print media suffered cuts. The Communications Authority report highlighted that free-to-air TV remains the dominant advertising platform, despite fluctuations in media purchasing trends. Corporate and multi-brand sectors were the biggest spenders in print, but their expenditure declined, reflecting a shift towards other media channels. Here are more details»»»»»

South Sudan: Crisis Reloaded

South Sudan’s neighbours, and regional and international bodies have urged the country’s leaders to resolve an escalating conflict

South Sudan is facing renewed conflict as tensions escalate between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, leading to arrests of top government and military officials and the surrounding of Machar’s home in Juba.

A UN helicopter was shot down, killing several military officers, amid ongoing clashes linked to disarmament efforts in Upper Nile, Western Bahr el-Ghazal, and Western Equatoria states. The African Union has called for an immediate ceasefire and dialogue, while the South Sudanese military urges former opposition officers to return to duty as tensions continue to rise. Morris Kiruga analyzes the situation »»»»»

Kenya Pulls Plug on Olkaria SEZ Discount

The revocation could dampen investment in one of the first SEZs in the country.

Kenya has revoked the discounted KSh 5 per kWh electricity tariff for industries in the Olkaria-Kedong Special Economic Zone (SEZ), raising costs to the standard industry tariff which may impact investment. The tariff was initially introduced in 2020 to attract businesses by leveraging the area's proximity to geothermal power and the Standard Gauge Railway. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority's decision could increase production costs and affect the SEZ's competitiveness. Read more »»»»»

Internationally Acclaimed ‘Best Places to Work’ Awards Launches in Kenya

Employee wellbeing has become a critical factor in Kenya’s rapidly evolving corporate landscape

The globally recognized ‘Best Places to Work’ awards by the London-based WorkL is excited to launch in Kenya – the first time the awards are taking place in East Africa. The awards recognize small to very large organizations for employee experience, satisfaction, and wellbeing.

The launch of the awards in Kenya comes as part of a broader effort to promote excellence in workplace culture, supported by a new partnership between WorkL and The Kenyan Wall Street. Through this collaboration, insights on employee experience trends, workplace best practices, and industry benchmarks will be shared with Kenyan businesses, helping them create environments where employees can thrive. More details here»»»»»

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May your week be prosperous!