From Invisible Algorithms to Global Rights

While the world prepared for these high-level discussions in Geneva, the Kenya Union of Gig Workers (KUGWO) worked to ensure the voices of Kenyan workers were part of that global conversation. We conducted a national survey and in-depth interviews across the spectrum of gig work in Kenya to document the lived experiences of our members.

This research formed our Position Paper (June 2025), which we shared with stakeholders and the public to ground the abstract debates in Geneva on the "hard" realities of the Kenyan economy.

We found that the flexibility often promised by platforms is an illusion; over 70% of our workers face unexplained income drops, and many are penalized by algorithms simply because of their location in Kenya.

Our findings directly mirrored the issues being debated by global delegates in the ILO"s Report V(2): Realizing Decent Work in the Platform Economy. We documented how algorithmic management operates without recourse, leaving workers to "disappear " from rankings without explanation. We heard from refugees in camps like Kakuma who must work through floods and power cuts because platforms do not recognize local infrastructure failures. These stories affirmed that the ILO’ s focus on algorithmic transparency and social protection is not just a policy preference but a matter of survival for workers on the ground.

The results of the 113th ILC session in June 2025 were a significant victory, as a clear majority opted to pursue a legally binding Convention supplemented by a Recommendation. This decision recognizes that voluntary guidelines are no longer enough to protect workers who are often misclassified as "independent contractors " while being controlled like employees. However, the work is only partially complete, with the final text to be adopted in 2026. Critical issues regarding social security contributions, the right to collective bargaining, and the rebuttable presumption of employment—a principle already being adopted in regions like the European Union—must be finalized.

Success in 2026 requires active participation from everyone in our community. Kenyan gig workers have a responsibility to keep telling their stories and providing the evidence of wage theft or unfair deactivations that we use to push for change. At the same time, we call on our partners to provide the technical and financial resources needed to turn these lived experiences into solid policy proposals.

We must expound on our initial findings to ensure that the final treaty includes a framework for portable benefits and protects the right of every digital worker to organize. By working together now, we can ensure that when the final gavel falls in June 2026, the rights of Kenyan workers are firmly written into international law.