The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi has issued interim orders stopping Safaricom PLC from sharing personal data linked to several former employees as an ongoing legal dispute continues.
The case was filed by a group of petitioners who accuse the telecommunications company and a senior human resources official of unlawfully accessing and exposing their sensitive personal information.
The employees claim that details such as their digital identity records and M-Pesa transactions were accessed and shared without proper legal justification.
According to the court order dated April 27, 2026, the company has been directed to immediately stop any further dissemination of the petitioners’ personal data until the matter is fully heard and determined.
The ruling is seen as an important temporary protection for the affected individuals as the case moves forward.
The court also instructed Safaricom to file its response to the application within 14 days. In addition, all parties involved in the matter are expected to appear before the court for a hearing scheduled for May 11, 2026.
The petitioners argue that their constitutional rights to privacy were violated. They also cite the Data Protection Act, saying the company failed to protect their personal information and instead allowed unauthorized access and disclosure. They are now seeking injunctive relief to prevent any further alleged breaches and to protect their private records from continued exposure.
The dispute reportedly began during internal investigations and disciplinary processes involving the former employees.
These investigations are said to have included a review of financial transactions, communication records, and other personal details connected to the workers.
The petitioners claim that the process went beyond acceptable workplace investigations and crossed into unlawful invasion of privacy.
This case is expected to raise serious questions about how far employers can go when handling employee data, especially during disciplinary actions and workplace disputes.
Many legal experts believe the outcome could shape future employer practices across Kenya, particularly in large corporations where access to personal and financial records can be extensive.
The final decision could set an important precedent on workplace data protection and employee rights in Kenya, especially at a time when digital privacy concerns continue to grow across different sectors.
