A storm is brewing at Moja Expressway Company, the operator of the Nairobi Expressway, as dozens of employees come forward accusing the management of grave labour violations, contract breaches, and systemic mistreatment.
In a detailed petition shared with this publication, members of the company’s Sales Team, known for actively marketing and selling On-Board Units (OBUs) along the Expressway, allege that Moja Expressway has unilaterally altered critical employment terms without consultation, in what they describe as blatant disregard for Kenya’s Employment Act, 2007.
Among the major grievances raised is the abrupt scrapping of meal allowances, a benefit explicitly stated in their original contracts.
Employees claim that this decision was made without notice or discussion, stripping them of essential support amid a worsening cost-of-living crisis.
Additionally, the staff report drastic changes to the performance assessment criteria, which directly affect bonus payouts.
Under the new measures, many stand to lose tens of thousands of shillings each month, despite continuing to meet aggressive sales targets.
These unilateral alterations, they argue, not only violate their contracts but also erode morale and foster a culture of fear and uncertainty.
Workers further allege that the management is phasing out fixed contracts and transitioning them to precarious daily wage arrangements, effectively casualizing their roles.
This shift has reportedly been enforced without issuing new agreements or formal communication, leaving employees unsure of their employment status or future.
Medical coverage, once a key pillar of the company’s employment benefits, has also been withdrawn without explanation.
The affected workers now face the risk of health emergencies without insurance support, a move they say is both reckless and inhumane.
Adding to the unrest is the claim that payslips are no longer being issued, making it difficult for staff to track their earnings or understand arbitrary salary deductions.
Several employees also accuse the company of over-deducting statutory payments such as HELB, despite signed agreements specifying exact amounts.
Internal attempts to seek clarity or redress have reportedly been met with hostility and intimidation.
Some workers who questioned the changes say they were threatened with dismissal or later found themselves removed from the schedule entirely.
Others claim to have received termination notices via SMS, citing cost-cutting as the reason, without due process or severance provisions.
These allegations are the latest in a string of controversies that have dogged Moja Expressway Company in recent years.
Despite operating a multi-billion-shilling toll road and collecting substantial daily revenue, critics argue the company has consistently prioritized profits over people.
The employees are now calling on the Ministry of Labour to intervene, investigate the company’s practices, and compel Moja Expressway to uphold lawful, fair and dignified employment standards.
Below is a breakdown of the key grievances raised by the affected employees, shedding light on the depth of discontent within Moja Expressway’s workforce.
“Good evening Cyprian. We hope this finds you well. Thanks, Cyprian, for the noble work you do in exposing injustices in our society. We are employees of Moja Expressway, specifically the SALES team. We are writing to express our displeasure regarding how the management is handling our affairs. I’m sure you have spotted our dedicated team members running along the expressway trying to sell OBUs. Now, when we joined, we signed contracts and measures of assessment. The Measures of Assessment outline how we get paid bonuses since we don’t get paid overtime. However, the management has of late been arbitrarily changing the terms of engagement without consulting us. Last week we received a memo indicating that we would no longer be receiving meal allowances. This is despite the fact that our contracts clearly indicate that we are entitled to the said allowance (see the attached). The second issue that we feel short-changed relates to the assessment criteria. When we joined Moja Expressway, we all signed an assessment criteria. However, the management has been shifting goals and changing the terms without any reference to us. Some of us will be losing upwards of 20 thousand if the new assessment was to be adopted. This is on top of the close to 8,000 we stand to lose with the scrapping of the meal allowances. These unilateral changes to our contracts are in complete violation of Section 10(5) of the Employment Act 2007. Our attempts to reach out to the management have been met with arrogance from one Chinese Ms. Sarah Chen. When we had a sit-down to try and resolve the issues, she arrogantly stated “WE ARE NOT HERE TO MAKE YOU RICH.” This is the same madam who was our immediate supervisor. She was recently transferred to the HR department. We question her qualification to hold such a sensitive post and with such an attitude. She was accompanied by her colleague Wendy Aminilwa, who too we think is not qualified and has a very bad attitude as well, and couldn’t explain to us why these changes were being effected without consultation. We have dedicated ourselves to meet our end of the bargain, but the company is failing us. Imagine bringing over millions in Sales to the company every month only for them to enforce these new measures. It’s already tough in the current economic climate, and these changes can only make it tougher. They issued a memo to change all employees’ contracts by reducing basic pay and all allowances. You cannot question them because you will be victimized. They want to pay us a daily rate like casual workers. Currently, the management has withdrawn the medical cover. We no longer have the Moja Expressway we had before. Please see the attached document. They have stopped providing us with payslips, which we used to receive every month. When we call to inquire, the response is very arrogant. They deduct amounts from our salaries; we have signed letters specifying how much should be deducted for our HELB loans, but they over-deduct. They have not paid our seniority allowance, which is stipulated in our contracts. Some of our colleagues were terminated via SMS in the name of cutting costs.
This is the SMS: “The company is reducing costs and increasing efficiency through staff layoffs. Your contracts will not be renewed upon expiration, and we regret to inform you that you don’t need to come to work starting from tomorrow. You can go to the HR department to handle the relevant procedures.”
We are no longer issued contracts for renewal, and we do not know where we stand. Nairobi Expressway is making millions of shillings daily, yet we do not know what is happening, and the management is not responding. Kindly assist us in fighting for our rights.”
Following these alarming revelations, we will continue to closely monitor the situation at Moja Expressway Company and remain committed to amplifying the voices of affected employees and pursuing accountability from all relevant stakeholders.
If you are a current or former employee of Moja Expressway Company with additional information, experiences, or concerns, whether related to this issue or any other matter within the organization, we encourage you to come forward.
Your voice matters and sharing your story could help shine a light on systemic issues that may otherwise remain hidden.
All communication will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Our goal is to help ensure that all workers are treated fairly, lawfully, and with dignity.
