Sexual Harassment Scandal Rocks Ushahidi Boardroom

A high-ranking executive of one of Kenya’s leading technology firms has been suspended after a female employee claimed that he had sexually harassed her.

Ushahidi, which received global acclaim because of its crowd-mapping tool developed in the aftermath of Kenya’s post-election violence in 2008, on Monday sent one of its directors on suspension pending investigations into the scandal.

“On Sunday, July 16, the board received from its lawyers a legal opinion on the investigation of a sexual harassment complaint that was filed by one of our employees, who has since left the organisation, against a senior employee,” read a statement by Ushahidi’s board.

The director was said to have sexually harassed the former employee during a company retreat in January at the Aberdares Country Club.

It was, however, not until May that the alleged victim, who was not named, initiated legal proceedings and then resigned a month later, citing dissatisfaction with how the firm was conducting the internal inquiry.

Ushahidi last week urged for patience after a social media backlash, pending investigations. [Frankline Sunday]