This morning there has been a very lively discussion by #Kenyans on Twitter. The morning trend is exposing companies that do not #PayInterns. If you are not new to the job market, you should know that this is the norm.
The companies that pay there interns are the minority and they pay peanuts. Reading through some of the tweets, KCB, EABL, CIC, KPLC, KBC, Standard Group, NMG, RMS among many others have been listed as the most exploitative. Equity bank has been attacked for using CSR as a reason to have cheap labour. KBC is the worst of all since interns have to pay to intern there.
There have also been complains of interns been sexually exploited.
This is one of the most lively discussion I’ve seen on twitter in a long time. Most of the time, people are always rumbling about Kenya Power.
#PayInterns has generated so much interest that at its peak, around 150 tweets were being tweeted per minute. This is considering its only in Kenya. Various corporates have also tweeted responding to allegations that they do not remunerate their interns. KCB tweeted, “KCB Group does not obtain any money from interns. Interns are actually paid a monthly stipend that is above the industry average”
However, reading through some tweets, it is clear some people are expecting too much from interning. In a country where some people who have worked for years still go home with Sh 30,000 a month, it would be asking too much for an intern to be paid the same amount or more.
The issue at hand should not be whether or how much to #PayInterns, it should be when the salaries of Kenyan workers, in government and especially in the private sector, will be reviewed radically.
© nairobiwire.com
