The new year has begun on a troubling note for many employees of Mwananchi Credit Limited, a microfinance lender whose staff say they are facing deep uncertainty due to delayed salaries and unpaid commissions.
Instead of the usual sense of renewal that January brings, workers describe a period filled with stress, fear, and unanswered questions about their future at the company.
Several employees say they did not receive their December salaries, which are normally paid on the 21st of every month. Weeks into the new year, many claim they are still waiting, with no clear communication on when the money will come.
For staff members who depend on monthly pay to manage rent, food, transport, and school fees, the delay has caused serious hardship.
As schools reopen, parents say they are struggling to send their children back to class, while others are falling behind on rent or borrowing money just to survive.
Inside the workplace, the situation is described as tense and uncomfortable. Workers say morale is very low, with fear hanging over daily operations. Some claim that simply asking about their pay has led to harsh responses from management, including threats and dismissals.
According to staff accounts, terminations are happening quietly, often without notice and without payment of pending salaries or commissions. This has created an environment where employees feel they must remain silent to protect their jobs, even as their personal lives fall apart.
Commission-based staff say they are also affected, noting that earnings they worked hard for late last year remain unpaid. For them, the delay feels even more painful because commissions are often used to cover immediate needs. Many say they continued working through December with the hope that their efforts would be rewarded, only to be left waiting with empty pockets in January.
One employee, speaking anonymously out of fear of losing their job, shared that management explanations about the delays keep changing. At one point, the company’s leadership allegedly suggested that paying salaries in December would discourage staff from returning in January.
To workers, such explanations have only added to their frustration and confusion, as they struggle to understand why their pay is being withheld.
The economic pressure in Nairobi has made the situation even harder. Daily transport costs, rising food prices, and school-related expenses have left many employees feeling trapped. They say they are torn between loyalty to a company they once trusted and the reality that loyalty does not pay bills.
What was once seen as a stable workplace is now being described by staff as chaotic and uncertain.
Workers are appealing for help and intervention. They say silence from top management has only worsened the situation, allowing fear and rumours to spread. Many believe that open communication and timely payment could ease tensions, but for now, they feel abandoned and unheard.
For employees of Mwananchi Credit Limited, the new year has brought more questions than answers.
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