Kenyans working for multinational corporations in digital sectors make up to five times less their peers in nations with more developed digital labor systems.
This trend is notwithstanding the fact that the government intends for more Kenyans to outsource digital jobs.
However, it appears that the country has yet to establish working standards for these employees.
Recently, the rising cost of living in the East African country has driven many youths, specifically Gen Zs, to seek jobs online.
However, the sheer number of people vying for the same kind of job, as well as how little government legislation intervenes has made it difficult for professionals to earn more than the minimum wage, as reported by The Star.
Siasa Place CEO Nerima Wako, highlighted this point, stating “And I’m not a worker. We represent workers.
And it’s simply because if they were to sit here and see the amount of salaries they receive, the paper talks about a third to a fifth in comparison to American citizens in the work that they do.”
During the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom release of its policy paper on the steps Kenya can take to allow its business procedures for the outsourcing industry, globally competitive, the CEO also noted that Kenya is not doing ‘well enough’ in terms of collaboration and partnership with organizations that already have this analysis and information.
“Right now, it’s not even close to a fraction. And even when we talk about the amount of money that they bring to their families, they’re still struggling. They can’t even really sit in a middle-class bracket,” she stated.
As per the National Study on Digital and Digitally Enabled Work in Kenya, published by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in 2021, roughly 1.2 million Kenyans earn a living online, receiving an average of Sh20,773.
