Sama to Lay Off 1,108 Nairobi Staff After Meta Exit

In Short

Sama is preparing to cut 1,108 jobs at its Nairobi delivery centre after Meta ended a key contract. Most affected staff worked on content and data annotation tasks used to train AI systems.

What Happened

Sama, a data labelling and business process outsourcing firm, said it has issued a formal redundancy notice to 1,108 employees in Nairobi. The company said the workers are tied to a “workstream” that Meta has terminated.

Data annotation is the work of tagging text, images, or videos so an AI model can learn, like adding labels to training flashcards. Content moderation is reviewing user posts to enforce platform rules.

Sama said the layoffs are expected to take effect later in April 2026, in line with Kenyan labour rules. It said the process is being handled under Section 40 of Kenya’s Employment Act, which sets the requirements for redundancy, including notifying employees and the relevant authorities.

Sama said it tried to engage Meta after receiving the termination notice but did not secure an extension. Annepeace Alwala, Sama’s country lead and vice-president for global delivery, said client programmes change and the company’s priority is supporting affected employees while keeping broader operations running.

Why It Matters

The cuts highlight how dependent Kenya’s AI outsourcing sector is on a small number of large US tech clients. Kenya has become a major hub for outsourced AI training work, but contract shifts can quickly turn into job losses.

For operators and investors watching the AI supply chain, this is another reminder that “AI jobs” in services often sit on short client cycles. Local firms may need more diversified customer bases and longer-term contracts to reduce volatility.

Related Reading

This story sits within the AI & Analytics market, and has direct implications for Kenya.