Cyprian Is Nyakundi has revealed disturbing claims on his X handle about how Altruist Technologies is treating employees working under the Airtel Kenya project.
According to a message he received from an anonymous whistleblower, the company is allegedly exploiting its workers, overworking them while ignoring their mental and physical well-being.
The whistleblower begged for their identity to be hidden and warned others against considering employment at Altruist Technologies, saying the job feels more like punishment than work. The message paints a dark picture of a company that is obsessed with performance metrics but shows no regard for the people meeting those numbers.
Staff are reportedly given only one day off per week, making it hard for them to rest or even spend time with their families. Burnout, both mental and physical, is said to be common, with supervisors constantly hovering over employees.
Promotions are described as rare and mostly reserved for those with close ties to management. Even the pay doesn’t match the heavy workload, making employees feel unappreciated and used.
Altruist Technologies is a global company, serving over 100 telecom clients in more than 50 countries. In Kenya, it supports Airtel by running customer service operations, including call centres and digital engagement.
These are the people you speak to when calling Airtel for help or when being contacted about new services. But according to insiders, the situation behind the scenes is harsh and dehumanizing.
Workers feel like machines, expected to produce results with little concern for their well-being. This is not the first time such allegations have surfaced from Airtel Kenya’s operations. Over recent weeks, more whistleblowers have come forward to expose a toxic culture of pressure and exploitation.
In March, information leaked about the ROC Project within Airtel’s sales department, where it was revealed that some partners received free SIM kits while others had to pay, suggesting favoritism and internal manipulation.
Reports also emerged about unethical sales practices. Employees were reportedly pushed to register SIM cards fraudulently just to meet sales targets. Some even claimed that their managers forced them to buy routers and SIM cards using their own salaries.
These allegations came mostly from contract workers hired through third-party firms like Fine Media and Sheer Logic Management Consultants. The pressure to meet unrealistic targets, according to these workers, created a cycle of debt and frustration.
Zonal Sales Managers were also accused of verbally harassing staff, especially those who questioned unfair practices. Workers who raised concerns reportedly faced punishment or were pushed out altogether.
Now, with employees from Altruist Technologies also speaking out, it’s becoming clear that these problems are not limited to one area of Airtel’s operations. Instead, they point to a deeper, more systemic problem in how Airtel and its partners treat frontline workers.
The complaints coming from the call centre staff match the earlier stories from sales teams, showing a pattern of poor management, mistreatment, and a lack of accountability.
There’s growing pressure on Airtel Kenya’s leadership to act on these reports and fix what whistleblowers describe as deep-rooted problems in how the company manages both its own staff and those hired through outsourcing partners.
Add Comment