Promised reforms at Quickmart Supermarket appear to have been nothing more than empty words, as disturbing new reports from employees continue to highlight a toxic working environment, especially at the Rongai Express branch.
The revelations were first brought to light by whistleblowers through renowned blogger Cyprian Is Nyakundi, who shared a chilling testimony from a former worker.
“I have worked at Quickmart Rongai Express for only four months and resigned due to the unfriendly conditions the staff are going through,” the source told Nyakundi.
“Staff are going through mistreatment by deputy manager Eric Maloba, who really overworks staff, shouts at them, and uses the advantage of the staff being from the agency (Specific Talent).”
At the center of these new complaints is Deputy Manager Eric Maloba, who is accused of overworking employees, shouting at them, and exploiting their position as vulnerable agency workers hired through Specific Talent.
These workers are said to be forced to work extra hours beyond their official shifts, with strict punishment for even minor lateness.
The same whistleblower described how being two minutes late was met with a demand to write a letter of explanation, while the same management constantly forced them to work beyond official hours without pay or rest.
The conditions inside the store are just as bad. A toilet that has been blocked for more than a month is reportedly leaking into areas where products are kept, posing a serious health risk. Instead of professional cleaners being brought in to fix the issue, employees are being forced to clean up the mess.
Some workers who complained were punished and sent back to their agency, with the manager claiming they had disrespected him.
The use of agency workers from Specific Talent has created an even deeper layer of exploitation. Staff are working long hours often over ten hours a day for a meagre salary of Ksh 15,000. With the current cost of living in Kenya, this pay is barely enough for basic survival.
The same employees are expected to perform duties that should be shared among three people, including offloading goods, arranging shelves, assisting customers, and even cleaning up sewage.
Despite Quickmart’s public claims that it is committed to employee welfare and has implemented reforms, these revelations suggest that very little has changed on the ground.
Instead of better treatment, workers continue to report the same toxic conditions across various branches, not just Rongai Express. The fact that these issues keep recurring in different locations points to a systemic failure within the company’s structure.
It’s clear that what Quickmart has called reform is nothing more than cosmetic. Workers remain overburdened, underpaid, and disrespected.
Unless the company takes bold and genuine steps to end this exploitation, no public relations campaign will fix its damaged reputation.
Real change means listening to workers, holding abusive managers accountable, and ending reliance on exploitative agency practices that only benefit the top while breaking those at the bottom.
Add Comment