Whistleblowers have uncovered disturbing allegations of job racketeering, bribery, and employee mistreatment at the China Square Karen branch, shedding light on an internal crisis that threatens workers’ rights in one of Nairobi’s fastest-growing retail chains. The scandal, revealed through internal testimonies and leaked communications, points to a covert syndicate of local managers accused of manipulating hiring and firing processes for personal gain.
At the heart of the revelations lies a troubling power structure dominated by individuals with familial ties. The Human Resource Manager, identified as Joyce Koskey, is allegedly related to both the Operations Manager at Karen and a previously fired but reinstated executive from the Kisumu branch, Cess Koskey. This tight-knit circle is said to run an informal employment market — selling jobs to the highest bidder while orchestrating unjust terminations under the guise of disciplinary action.
Former and current employees at China Square Karen describe a pattern of systemic nepotism and workplace abuse, where official HR protocols are weaponized to target staff. Contracts that once lasted a year were abruptly replaced with three-month agreements, expiring in March 2025. This change allegedly allowed management to terminate workers with minimal justification and replace them with pre-selected, often fee-paying, candidates.
One employee testified:
“You get issued with multiple written warnings for trivial matters, and then they use these as reasons to fire you. Later, someone connected or someone who’s paid a bribe takes your place.”
The disciplinary system is reportedly skewed, with excessive use of written warning letters for issues that typically merit only verbal reminders. Once enough warnings accumulate, staff are dismissed, not because of performance but because their positions have been informally sold.
Even more alarming are the gender-discriminatory policies exposed at the branch. Women who take maternity leave are allegedly coerced into resigning or continuing unpaid, with little to no chance of reinstatement. This violates Kenyan labor laws and has created an environment of fear among female workers.
While top Chinese executives at China Square have not been directly implicated, whistleblowers argue that their lack of oversight and failure to audit HR operations has enabled local administrators to operate unchecked. A previously promised audit by the company CEO never materialized, leaving lower-level staff vulnerable to exploitation.
The local management’s alleged misconduct is particularly galling to many observers, given that those perpetuating abuse are fellow Kenyans.
“We Africans get a little power and abuse our own people. The Chinese bosses aren’t even the problem. It’s our own people treating us like this,” one employee lamented.
In an emotional plea, a whistleblower requested intervention:
“Kindly help post this… We’re suffering here. The Workers Commission should investigate this situation seriously.”
The whistleblower also confirmed the return of Cess Koskey, previously dismissed publicly, to oversee a new China Square outlet opposite the Karen branch — a move allegedly arranged quietly by her sister, Joyce Koskey, the HR manager.
These troubling claims mirror a broader concern across Kenya’s retail and service sectors, where temporary contracts, low wages, and unchecked managerial power are used to suppress labor rights. The case of China Square Karen is a stark reminder of what happens when corporate expansion outpaces internal accountability.
As the cost of living surges, many workers are left with little choice but to endure exploitation to hold onto their livelihoods. Whistleblowing, though risky, remains one of the few avenues for justice — but only if it leads to real reforms.
Have you witnessed or experienced exploitation at China Square or any other workplace in Kenya?
Speak up confidentially. Your voice could protect others, expose impunity, and spark the accountability this country so desperately needs.
