- Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi worked 2 years without approved leave to visit Nigeria
- 100+ Teleperformance Kenya staff lack valid work permits since 2022
- 43% of African content moderators report untreated mental health issues
The tech community in Nairobi remains shaken following the discovery of 34-year-old Ladi Olubunmi’s body in her apartment last week. Colleagues confirm the TikTok content moderator had repeatedly requested repatriation to Nigeria through her employer Teleperformance Kenya, a subcontractor for major social platforms. While autopsy results remain pending, advocates argue systemic failures in global content moderation systems directly contributed to her demise.
Industry analysts reveal a troubling pattern across African tech hubs. A 2023 Digital Labor Watch report shows moderators in Kenya earn 62% less than counterparts in Berlin reviewing identical platform content. The case mirrors struggles at Samasource Kenya, where 167 former Facebook moderators allege PTSD from constant exposure to graphic violence without counseling support.
Teleperformance Kenya’s alleged permit violations compound these issues. Over 100 Nigerian employees reportedly work under temporary visas prohibiting international travel since 2021 policy changes. This creates what labor lawyer Amina Diallo calls digital indentureship– workers cannot resign without forfeiting back pay nor visit dying relatives. Similar situations have emerged in Morocco’s Casablanca tech parks, where moderators for Chinese platforms face passport confiscations.
The tragedy coincides with rising scrutiny of AI’s human costs. While platforms automate 28% of content filtering, human moderators still review 450-600 traumatic posts daily according to a Mozilla Foundation study. Kenya’s parliament now debates the Digital Worker Protection Act mandating mental health screenings and repatriation clauses in tech contracts – legislation inspired by the Philippines’ 2022 Content Moderator Bill of Rights.