Content moderators in Kenya are raising alarms over harsh working conditions following the mysterious death of their colleague, Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a TikTok content moderator employed by subcontractor Teleperformance Kenya.
Olubunmi’s decomposing body was discovered in her home three days after her passing last week. Originally from Nigeria, she had reportedly been unable to travel home for two years, despite her growing distress and exhaustion. Colleagues recall her expressing desperation to return home before her death.
In response to the tragedy, Kenyan tech workers held a vigil in her memory, with many attributing her deteriorating well-being to the strenuous working conditions imposed on content moderators.
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While Teleperformance Kenya denied restricting Olubunmi’s leave, her family in Nigeria claims she had only traveled home once in three years.
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Kenya-based content moderators employed by subcontracted firms have long protested poor pay, excessive working hours, lack of mental health support, and workplace intimidation.
Their concerns echo a high-profile lawsuit filed by over 100 former Facebook content moderators against Meta and its Kenya-based subcontractor, Samasource, over allegations of inhumane working conditions, unfair pay, and wrongful termination.
At Tuesday’s vigil, dozens of content moderators and data labelers emphasized that Olubunmi’s situation highlights a larger crisis in the industry.
“There are more than 100 Nigerians working under Teleperformance Kenya who haven’t had work permits for the last two years. Despite having an annual return ticket benefit, they have been unable to travel home,” said Kauna Malgwi, a close friend of the deceased.
Olubunmi’s family was informed a day after her body was discovered—via an email from Teleperformance, which provided contact details for Kenyan investigating officers handling the case, according to AP’s report.
With financial constraints preventing her family from repatriating her remains to Nigeria, they are now considering a church burial in Nairobi.
The tragic circumstances surrounding Olubunmi’s death have reignited demands for better treatment of content moderators, a workforce essential to the digital economy yet often overlooked and exploited.
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