Meta contract loss triggers 1,100 job cuts at Sama Kenya hub
NAIROBI, KENYA — More than 1,100 workers at Sama’s Nairobi delivery center are set to lose their jobs after Meta terminated a major outsourcing contract, dealing a significant blow to one of Kenya’s key business process outsourcing (BPO) employers and raising fresh concerns about the stability of AI-linked jobs in the country.
According to a report from The Star, the company confirmed it received notice from Meta ending a major engagement at its Nairobi hub, prompting Sama to issue a formal redundancy notice affecting 1,108 employees.
The move, issued on April 16, was carried out in accordance with Kenya’s Employment Act, 2007.
The layoffs highlight the vulnerability of outsourced digital labor in emerging markets, particularly in roles tied to large global tech platforms.
Meta exit disrupts Nairobi AI data hub
Sama’s Nairobi facility has been central to its global AI data-labeling operations, providing annotation and model evaluation services used to train machine learning systems for international technology companies.
The Meta-linked workstream was one of its largest engagements in Kenya.
In a statement to staff, Annepeace Alwala, Sama Country Lead and Vice President for Global Delivery acknowledged the scale of the impact.
“As is standard in our industry, client programs evolve, and we work closely with our partners to manage these transitions responsibly,” Alwala said.
“We recognise the significant impact on the team and the local community. We are actively working to support affected employees with care and respect,” she added.
The company said impacted workers had previously received living wages, full benefits, wellness services, medical cover, and access to on-site counselling. Despite these measures, the sudden contract termination has left hundreds of workers uncertain about their immediate future.
Rising concerns for Kenya’s outsourcing sector
The layoffs are expected to reverberate across Kenya’s growing outsourcing and digital services industry, where firms like Sama have positioned themselves as gateways into the global artificial intelligence economy.
The loss of a major client such as Meta underscores how dependent the sector can be on a small number of large international contracts.
The development comes just months after leading BPO players—CCI Kenya, CloudFactory Kenya, Teleperformance Kenya, and Sama Kenya—formed the Outsourcing Alliance of Kenya (OAK) to strengthen policy advocacy and attract global investment.
The timing of the layoffs raises questions about the resilience of Kenya’s outsourcing model as it seeks to scale AI-driven services while competing in a rapidly shifting global tech market.
While demand for AI training data remains strong, the Sama layoffs illustrate how quickly workforce stability can shift when major clients restructure or withdraw.
Ultimately, the incident highlights a broader challenge for outsourcing hubs like Kenya: balancing rapid growth in digital labor opportunities with the risks of overreliance on a few global tech giants whose strategic priorities can change without warning.
