A group of students from the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), who had partnered with the consumer electronics company Tecno Kenya to create a campus TikTok advertisement campaign aimed at promoting the brand among young audiences, have reported that they have not received payment for several weeks of work that they have already completed and submitted according to the agreed schedule. Tecno Kenya faces criticism as TUK students say payments for weeks six and seven of a campus marketing campaign remain pending.
The collaboration, which was formalized and governed by a written agreement with Carlcare Service Limited, Tecno Kenya’s authorized service partner responsible for managing marketing initiatives and project logistics, outlined that the students would be expected to produce up to 15 short videos per week, with each post compensated at a rate of Ksh 50 and stipulated that all payments were to be made on a strict weekly basis.
Although the payment for the first week of work was made promptly as agreed, the students have reported that the payments for weeks six and seven remain outstanding, creating a situation where remuneration for more than a month’s worth of work has not been received, leaving many participants financially inconvenienced and uncertain about continuing the project.
Students further indicate that they have now been asked to submit work for week eight, even though they have not yet been compensated for the previous assignments, which they completed in good faith and according to the terms outlined in the contract, adding to their frustration and concerns about the fairness of the partnership.
The agreement clearly pointed out that the TECNO KOC Project was to run for a fixed duration of three months, detailing specific roles, obligations and responsibilities for both parties, and aimed to ensure that both the students and the company adhered to the project’s timelines and deliverables. Section of a Mutual Confidentiality Agreement between Carlcare Service Limited and students from the Technical University of Kenya for the TECNO KOC Project, outlining project purpose, confidentiality obligations, roles and responsibilities, payment terms, duration of the project, and dispute resolution under Kenyan law.
Additionally, the contract referenced the confidentiality of all marketing strategies, campaign plans, and project-related information, while also confirming that payments were to be handled according to the schedule mutually agreed upon, reinforcing the expectation of timely and consistent financial compensation.
Some students have voiced their disappointment over the delays, noting that they have fulfilled all their responsibilities and delivered content as required under the agreement.
However, the company has failed to uphold its financial obligations, creating a breach in trust between the parties involved.
The issue remains unresolved at this time, with the students urging Carlcare Service Limited and Tecno Kenya to release all pending payments before they submit any further work, as stipulated in the agreement, which also outlines provisions for dispute resolution under Kenyan law, including arbitration in case the matter cannot be settled amicably. "Hi Cyprian. I’m reaching out to report an ongoing issue with Tecno Kenya. A group of us campus students were approached by the company to create TikTok advertisements for them at a rate of 50 shillings per post, with a maximum of 15 videos per week. The agreement was that we would be paid weekly, and initially, payments were made on schedule for the first week but as of now, payments for weeks six and seven are still pending, meaning some of us have not received compensation for up to three weeks of work. Despite this, Tecno Kenya is pressing us to submit week eight’s content by today, even though the previous weeks’ payments have not been cleared. We are concerned because the contract explicitly states that payments would be made weekly, yet it has now been over a month with no payment for two completed weeks of work. We would like this matter to be amplified so that the company honors its obligations and clears all pending payments before requiring further submissions."