Kenya-based content moderators mourn Nigerian colleague who ‘was desperate to go home’

NAIROBI, Kenya — Technology workers in Kenya held a vigil Tuesday 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 and her decomposing body was discovered in her house after three days.

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

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

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Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say 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 what they say is poor pay, horrible working conditions and unfair termination of employment by Facebook’s subcontracted Kenya-based firm, Samasource.

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

“There are 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.

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

Teleperformance emailed Olubunmi’s brother notifying him of her death and gave him contacts of Kenyan investigating officers who he could call for information, autopsy and burial arrangements.

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