This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
Published on October 28, 2019, a report revealed that at least 7,000 Kenyans had lost their jobs in 2019 alone in a spate of mass layoffs that affected over 10 companies in the country.
Companies from nearly all sectors, including finance, telecommunications, agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and ICT, were affected by the layoffs.
The affected companies cited restructuring, reduced profits, a hostile business environment, and high costs of labor and production as reasons for the retrenchment of workers.
Some of the companies that announced mass layoffs in 2019 include:
- Air Afrik, which laid off 200 workers from Kenya and Sudan following massive losses.
- Finlay Flowers, which closed two farms by December 25th, citing oversupply in Europe among other factors, and laid off over 1,000 workers.
- SportPesa, which halted its operations in the country, sending home at least 400 workers, citing the government's hostility and stringent taxation and regulations laws.
- Andela, which laid off 175 of its junior workers as market demand shifted towards more experienced software engineers.
- East Africa Portland Cement, which planned to lay off all of its 600 workers in a reorganization plan.
- Telkom Kenya, which retrenched 575 employees prior to the planned merger with Airtel.
- Stanbic Bank, which announced the planned retrenchment of 88 workers in an early retirement scheme.
- East African Breweries Limited (EABL), which laid off 100 employees in its Nairobi Centre.
