A former Safaricom employee has moved to court seeking KSh130 million in damages, accusing the telecommunications giant of exposing her to unsafe working conditions that allegedly left her with severe hearing and psychological injuries.
Ann Kanana Mwenda, who previously worked at Safaricom’s Customer Care department, claims she developed multiple occupational health complications during her time at the company.
In court filings, Mwenda alleges that she now suffers from clinical depression, suicidal thoughts, acoustic shock, vertigo, ear pain (otalgia), tinnitus, hyperacusis, and other debilitating mental and physiological conditions.
She accuses Safaricom of failing in its duty of care to employees and lists several grievances, including: Providing poor-quality headphones that allegedly caused permanent hearing damage, Forcing her to work long hours in what she describes as a toxic and highly stressful environment,Subjecting her to what she terms intrusive medical procedures and “inhuman and degrading” experiments without proper regard for her dignity,Abandoning her employment once her health deteriorated
Through her legal team, Mwenda is seeking compensation for medical costs, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
The lawsuit comes amid heightened scrutiny over workplace safety standards at call centres and customer service operations, where employees often work long hours using headsets.
Safaricom has previously faced similar claims in court.
In Eva Bessy Kathambi vs Safaricom Ltd [2023] KLR, the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that the company had failed to take reasonable care to provide adequate equipment and a safe system of work to guarantee the safety, health, and welfare of an employee.
