Kenyan content moderators mourn Nigerian colleague ‘desperate to go home’

Technology workers in Kenya have held a vigil for a colleague who died in unclear circumstances after she was unable to travel to her home in Nigeria for two years.

Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a content moderator for TikTok employed by the subcontractor Teleperformance Kenya, died last week, with her body only discovered in her house after three days.

It is unclear what caused her death, but colleagues say she had complained of fatigue and was “desperate to go back home”.

Teleperformance Kenya did not reply to requests for comment from The Associated Press. In a statement from the company to a journalist, seen by the AP, Teleperformance said claims that Ms Olubunmi was denied leave were “baseless and untrue”.

Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation.

More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company over poor pay, horrible working conditions and unfair termination of employment by Facebook’s subcontracted Kenya-based firm, Samasource.

Dozens of content moderators and data labellers working for various global tech giants met during Tuesday’s vigil and said poor working conditions may have contributed to their colleague’s death.

“There is more than 100 Nigerians working under Teleperformance company who haven’t had work permits for the last two years and so they have not been able to travel home despite having an annual return ticket benefit,” said Kauna Malgwi, a friend of the deceased.

Ms Olubunmi’s family was informed of her death a day after her body was discovered by a neighbour.

Teleperformance emailed Ms Olubunmi’s brother notifying him of her death and gave him contacts of Kenyan investigating officers who he could call for information, post-mortem examination results and burial arrangements.

“The family cannot afford to take her body home, so they are considering asking her church in Nairobi to bury her,” her friend said.