Kenya’s Safaricom sacks 118 employees in major fraud crackdown

Kenya's leading mobile network provider and telecommunications company, Safaricom, has dismissed 118 employees over fraud-related offences by the end of the financial year in March.

According to the company's 2026 Sustainable Business Report, all 118 fraud cases were investigated and every one ended in dismissal. All the cases were settled with the cost being the employees’ jobs.

The report highlights the varying actions that lead to the sackings, including falsifying company records, unauthorised access of customers' call records, theft, and the breaching of security and compliance rules.

Safaricom says that it has intensified crackdown, and this resulted in the reduction of fraud incidents by 82%. Although, the company admits that the fraud cases and internal security threats still constitute a very core concern. This suggests that the clean-up is continuous and ongoing rather than finished, and at this rate, it is far from done.

So, simply put, why does this even matter? Kenyans utilise Safaricom for their monetary transactions, payments and the running of enterprises and small businesses. Now, when a firm has this much money and personal information of the customers in their possession, no mistakes can be tolerated. One fraudulent insider can cause major damage.

The exposure of private records, falsification of transactions, and stealing of money, are all possible outcomes of a small crack in security, and funds lost in these situations are more often than not, very hard to recover. So, getting rid of employees who refuse to abide by the rules truly shows that there's a significant amount of control and order, and not that things are spiraling way out of the hands that should wield the power.

The report states clearly that customers trust the company with their personal information and transactions, and that the crackdown is to keep Safaricom reliable and truly secure. Trust is the most important currency in business. When customers begin to doubt the capabilities and trustworthiness of the company, hesitation slips in, and that is far too costly.

The Safaricom fraud crackdown and employee dismissal also points to what large company clean-ups are about. Most of the time, these clean-ups are not silent. Safaricom's decision to publish the dismissal figures was risky given that the company is publicly admitting to the internal misappropriations. However, the company's decision also shows transparency and dedication, especially as one of the leading companies at the helm of Kenya's financial and digital economy.

Actions as firm and open as this, will aid the recovery of stolen funds and information as well as the sustaining of customers' trust.