Safaricom is facing fresh questions over working conditions at its headquarters after a security controller lamented that some personnel stationed at the telecommunications company’s main offices have gone for as long as 18 months without receiving salaries.
The employee, who requested anonymity because of concerns about possible retaliation, said repeated efforts to secure payment had failed and that the prolonged lack of income had pushed some affected workers into severe financial hardship.
The worker said they had been unable to keep up with rent and were currently staying with friends while waiting for the salary dispute to be resolved.
“I’m working at Safaricom HQ as a security controller where we have not been paid our salaries for the past 18 months,” the employee said. “I can’t even afford rent now. I’m moving from one friend’s house to another.”
It was not immediately clear whether the affected security controllers are employed directly by Safaricom or by a private security company contracted to provide services at the company’s headquarters.
That distinction could determine which entity carries the direct obligation to pay the workers, but the allegations are likely to raise questions for Safaricom over oversight of contractors and labour conditions involving personnel working at its facilities.
Safaricom had not publicly addressed the specific allegations by the time of publication.
The claims come at a difficult moment for Kenya’s largest telecommunications operator, which has also faced growing scrutiny over the quality and reliability of some of its services.
Recent assessments by the Communications Authority of Kenya have pointed to weaknesses in customer experience across the telecommunications industry, including concerns around internet speeds, network reliability and the handling of consumer complaints.
Safaricom, despite remaining the country’s dominant mobile operator, has not been immune from those concerns.
The company’s overall customer experience score declined in the regulator’s latest assessment compared with the previous reporting period, while satisfaction with internet speeds remained among the areas attracting attention.
Customers have also complained publicly in recent months about disruptions affecting mobile and home internet services, difficulties accessing some digital services and changes to data products.
Safaricom has acknowledged and responded to some of those complaints, including service disruptions affecting customers.
The developments have placed additional pressure on Chief Executive Peter Ndegwa and the company’s board, chaired by lawyer Adil Khawaja, as Safaricom seeks to balance rapid expansion, heavy infrastructure investment and growing expectations from millions of customers who rely on its network and M-Pesa platform.
Ndegwa has led Safaricom since 2020, overseeing a period in which the company expanded further beyond Kenya while maintaining its position as one of East Africa’s largest and most profitable businesses and many scandals.
Khawaja has chaired Safaricom’s board since 2023 and is responsible, together with other directors, for oversight of the company’s management, strategy and corporate governance.
The allegation involving security controllers now adds a labour question to the broader scrutiny facing the company.
The employee who spoke about the alleged salary arrears said workers had repeatedly sought help but had not received a satisfactory explanation about when the money would be paid.
