Employees at Zipline Kenya, the local branch of American drone logistics firm Zipline International, have come forward with detailed accusations of workplace toxicity, citing mismanagement and disregard for staff wellbeing at the company’s Chemelil-based operations hub in Kisumu County.
Zipline, which operates autonomous drone delivery systems across several countries, runs logistics centres in Kenya, distributing medical supplies such as vaccines, blood, and pharmaceuticals to hospitals and clinics within a 115-kilometre radius.
While the company presents itself as a revolutionary health supply chain solution, internal grievances from its Kisumu team reveal what employees describe as a deteriorating workplace culture fuelled by poor leadership.
The complaints centre on Zipline Kenya’s People Partner, whom staff accuse of sustaining a toxic environment through open favouritism and managerial indifference.
Employees allege that serious concerns raised about internal dynamics have been met with dismissiveness, and that attempts to seek redress were previously ignored by upper management, leading to deeper frustration and disillusionment within the team.
According to the staff, efforts to address mounting dissatisfaction have been trivialised with superficial gestures like shared lunches, while structural issues remain unaddressed.
Workers now warn that unless accountability is enforced, the company risks losing talent and undermining the very mission it claims to uphold.
“Hi Nyakundi. Kindly Hide my identity. I am an employee at ZIPLINE (KE) Ltd, a drone logistics company based in Chemelil, Kisumu County. I am reaching out to raise the alarm about the toxic work environment that has taken root at our hub, largely due to the leadership style of our People Partner, Bertha Bunuka. Her management approach is marked by blatant favoritism and disregard for employee well-being. The result is a demoralized team, with many employees actively considering their exit from the company. What’s more disheartening is the lack of meaningful engagement—Ms. Bunuka seems to believe that buying employees pizza or lunch is enough to compensate for deep-seated dissatisfaction and unresolved issues in the workplace. Last year, we attempted to raise these concerns anonymously to upper management, but our efforts were swept under the rug, and no action was taken. Since then, the situation has only worsened. Employees feel unheard, undervalued, and disrespected. We are proud of Zipline’s mission and potential, but without urgent attention to this issue, the culture will continue to deteriorate and drive good talent away. We hope you can help us shine a light on this matter and prompt accountability.”
