Underneath the polished veneer of the country's largest and most dominant retail chain, troubling claims are beginning to surface from former employees alleging financial impropriety linked to an internal savings scheme associated with Naivas Supermarket .
While Naivas Kenya has built a formidable reputation since its founding in 1990, expanding to over 100 branches, employing thousands of staff, and securing its place as a leader in the country’s modern trade sector, an unresolved matter concerning the Naivas Sacco is casting a shadow on its commitment to worker welfare. Trouble brews for Naivas as ex-staff allege millions in unpaid Sacco savings linked to outsourced labour, exposing serious gaps in regulation and accountability.
According to credible reports, a number of former Naivas employees, previously engaged through Achievo Ltd (a staffing partner) have been unable to access personal savings held in the Sacco after their employment was terminated.
The funds, deducted from their salaries during their tenure, were meant to function as a voluntary savings scheme but have since become inaccessible following their exit from the company.
Efforts to engage the Sacco’s administrators and pursue redress through official state channels have proven unsuccessful.
Investigations reveal that the Sacco in question may not be formally registered or regulated by key oversight bodies such as the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) or the Ministry of Cooperatives.
Former members seeking assistance have reported being redirected from one government office to another, only to be met with uncertainty about the sacco’s operational status or legitimacy.
This lack of oversight raises questions not only about the accountability of the Sacco itself, but also about the structures in place to protect the savings and rights of outsourced retail workers, a group that plays a vital but often underrepresented role in Kenya’s commercial ecosystem.
The total amount reportedly owed to former employees is said to be in the region of KSh 8 million, comprising years of accumulated savings from dozens of staff who say they were dismissed with no explanation and who have since faced a prolonged battle to recover their own funds.
The implications expose a critical gap in how savings cooperatives within corporate ecosystems are managed, especially when tied to outsourced labour models.
Below is what one former employee shared with us, shedding light on the lived experiences behind the numbers and the deep frustration many are now grappling with as they seek accountability and access to what rightfully belongs to them. "Hello Cyprian, I am a former member of staff at Naivas hired by Achievo Ltd. I worked with Naivas as a shop assistant since 25/01/2018, to March 2022 when I was promoted as a supervisor (toys), later on as a GM Lead. My message to you is about Naivas Sacco, where we were saving part of our salary but we cannot access our funds after being fired. We have tried to follow up on these funds in a polite manner but to no avail. I tried to raise the matter with SASRA, but the Sacco is not regulated by the authority. I tried to raise the matter with the Ministry of Cooperatives, where I was connected with the DCO Embakasi who, instead of helping, asked me to assist her with the contacts of the chairman of this Sacco. The Sacco has one employee, a lady who visits the Ministry premises almost weekly, a thing that made me raise questions about the DCO's request. Furthermore, the DCO asked me whether the Sacco is still in operation, meaning the Sacco is not registered nor regulated by government bodies. They are holding member funds and they are unwilling to refund. Kindly do some investigations about the matter. If true, kindly shame them in a manner that they will refund the funds. It is about 8 million owed to members who have been fired by the company." If you are a current or former Naivas employee, particularly those who contributed to or interacted with the Naivas Sacco and have encountered similar challenges, withheld funds, or irregular practices, we urge you to come forward.
Your experiences, even if shared confidentially, could help uncover the full scope of this issue and bring long-overdue accountability to those responsible.
We are actively gathering testimonies to build a clearer picture of how widespread the problem is, and your input could make a critical difference.
We will be closely monitoring this story and pursuing further investigations in the days ahead.