More than 4,000 workers in Kenya have been rendered jobless over the past six months as companies continue to grapple with economic turbulence, restructuring initiatives, and exits from the local market.
A wave of redundancies, business closures, and operational overhauls across multiple sectors has left thousands without employment, signaling deeper economic distress and a shifting corporate landscape.
Security firms have suffered the layoffs, with KK Security terminating contracts for over 1,000 employees, while G4S let go of 400 workers as part of internal restructuring efforts.
ALSO READ: Reason CBK Considers Adding Gold To Foreign Exchange Reserves
In the manufacturing and retail sectors, Tile & Carpet Centre Limited laid off 300 employees, citing declining demand and rising operational costs.
Meanwhile, state-owned Posta Kenya is preparing to send home around 600 workers in a planned redundancy program aimed at cutting costs and streamlining operations.
Several companies have exited the Kenyan market entirely. CMC Motors and online betting firm Betsafe have wound down their local operations, resulting in 100 percent job losses within their workforce in the country.
The non-profit sector was not spared, with health NGO AMREF reportedly letting go of over 400 staffers, while digital lending platform Tala retrenched 28 employees.
Media and tobacco industries also faced setbacks, with Radio Africa Group laying off 27 workers and British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya releasing 19 employees.
Unless macroeconomic conditions improve, more layoffs could follow, adding strain to a job market already facing high youth unemployment and rising cost of living.
