For some time now, people who follow telecoms stories in the country have always suspected or been apprised of the rumour that Kenya’s third largest mobile operator Telkom was planning to lay off some of its workers. The rumour was followed up a couple of days ago when the telco was briefing the press of its progress and plans for the future. At that time, Telkom CEO Aldo Mareuse did not confirm or deny any restructuring activities that would cost some employees their jobs.
Well, the day is finally here.
Telkom has officially issued a requisite 30-day notice to its stakeholders and relevant authorities such as the Ministry of Labour, of a workforce-restructuring exercise. The announcement implies that in thirty days, 500 of Telkom’s employees will no longer be working for the company.
According to the carrier, Telkom continues to build its business after a successful rebrand in 2017. It has pumped more than KES 14 billion in expanding network coverage to more areas in the country, launched LTE services in some parts and joined other mobile financial services with T-Kash.
Telkom believes this move will align its cost and skillset with future strategies.
“To enable Telkom to invest more into the growth and sustainability of its business, it must align its cost structure and skill-set with its Strategy. This requires Telkom to restructure its business, and as a result, this will impact the current and long-term needs of its workforce. This restructuring will enable Telkom to not only invest in its business but more importantly in its people,” reads a statement from Telkom.
