Peter Oyier’s case against Safaricom has opened a painful conversation about how big companies in Kenya continue to take advantage of creatives.
Oyier, a well-known former news anchor and voice artist, is demanding over Sh69 million from Safaricom after accusing the company of using his voice for their platinum client services without renewing contracts or paying him.
This case is not just about one man’s voice it’s about how easily a powerful company can benefit from someone’s hard work and turn around to deny responsibility.
According to Oyier, Safaricom used his voice on their Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems for years even after the contracts ended in 2022.
He had been contracted to record IVR messages in English and Kiswahili, something that clearly helped Safaricom make money through their premium customer service.
Yet despite his contributions, Safaricom allegedly continued using his work without even bothering to reach out or pay him. His legal filings show he tried many times to solve the matter through letters and emails, but the company simply brushed him off and claimed there was no binding agreement in place.
That kind of response from a giant company like Safaricom is troubling. Here is a man who worked hard, gave his time and voice to support their services, and when the time came to pay him what he’s owed, they acted as though he was a stranger.
It shows a pattern we’ve seen too often in Kenya where creatives are used, squeezed for value, and then dumped. Safaricom has become the face of this problem, not just because of Oyier’s case, but because of how confidently they continue to deny responsibility while still making huge profits off the work of others.
The worst part is that Peter Oyier is just one of many. A lot of creatives in Kenya don’t speak up, not because they don’t want to, but because they fear losing future work or being blacklisted.
Oyier’s courage to take Safaricom to court should be recognized for what it is a call for dignity, for justice, and for real change.
It’s time for big corporations to stop hiding behind legal loopholes and start treating creatives with the respect they deserve. The system should no longer allow companies to benefit from someone’s work and then pretend nothing happened.
If Safaricom truly believes in fair play and innovation, they should lead by example and settle what they owe, not drag it through court and PR spin.
