NAIROBI, Kenya-Tech outsourcing firm Sama has issued redundancy notices to 1,108 employees in Nairobi following the termination of a major contract by Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The layoffs mark a significant blow to Kenya’s growing outsourcing and digital work sector, where thousands of young people have found employment in content moderation and artificial intelligence (AI) support roles.
Sama confirmed the redundancy notices, attributing the move to Meta’s decision to end its engagement with the firm, one of the largest providers of outsourced content moderation and data annotation services in the region.
The company has been a key player in delivering large-scale data annotation, content moderation, and model evaluation services used to train and validate AI systems.
Its workforce in Nairobi has been central to these operations, particularly in moderating content across Meta’s platforms.
Sources familiar with the matter say the contract had formed a substantial portion of Sama’s operations in Kenya, making the layoffs inevitable once the deal collapsed.
Impact on workers
The redundancy notices affect over a thousand employees, many of whom were engaged in reviewing graphic and sensitive online content—a job that has drawn global scrutiny over working conditions and mental health risks.
Labour rights groups have previously raised concerns about the nature of content moderation work in Kenya, including exposure to disturbing material and questions over pay and psychological support.
For affected workers, the layoffs come amid an already challenging economic environment, with rising living costs and limited alternative opportunities in the tech outsourcing space.
Wider industry implications
The development raises fresh questions about the sustainability of Kenya’s role as a hub for outsourced digital labour, particularly for global tech giants.
Analysts warn that reliance on a few large international clients exposes local firms to sudden shocks, especially as companies like Meta restructure operations, adopt automation, or shift contracts to other regions.
At the same time, the move could accelerate conversations around regulation, worker protections, and diversification within Kenya’s digital economy.
Sama says it is engaging affected employees and relevant authorities on the redundancy process, in line with Kenyan labour laws.
The company has not publicly indicated whether it will scale down further operations in Kenya or redeploy staff to other projects.
For now, the layoffs underline a harsh reality: even as Kenya positions itself as a rising tech and AI hub, its workforce remains vulnerable to decisions made thousands of miles away in global boardrooms.
