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Marketforce Technologies has been ordered to pay former employee Tom Maina Chege KES 2.1 million ($16,000) for fraudulent Terminatio. Judge CN Baari awarded Chege Kes terminal membership fee of 1.3 million ($10,000) and KES 800,000 ($6,000) and legal fees
Marketforce Technologies has been ordered to pay former employee Tom Maina Chege $2.1 million ($16,000) to KES for false firing, according to a Kenyan court ruling issued almost a year after the company closed Rejareja, the B2B market.
Chege, Marketforce product manager from January 2022 to August 2023, was fired in July 2023. He allegedly violated Kenya’s employment law due to insufficient notice and no notice to the Labor Bureau. The court has found that Marketforce is not compliant with legal redundancy procedures.
Marketforce did not defend itself in court. Judge CN Baari awarded Chege Kes 1.3 million ($10,000) compensation and legal fees for terminal fees of 800,000 KES ($6,000). The domination underscores the ongoing uncertainty regarding the Y-combinator-assisted startup, which raised more than $40 million before leaving the B2B space in 2024. Co-founder Tesh Mbaabu has launched a new venture, CHPTER.
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Key takeout
The court’s ruling reveals details about Marketforce’s internal struggle, including unpaid salaries, staff exits and cancellation of supplier credit lines. The startup, once considered the leading B2B e-commerce player in Africa, shut down Rejareja after failing to navigate capital and operational pressures. Despite supporting global investors, Marketforce has faced liquidity issues that have led to pay cuts and layoffs, despite raising more than $40 million. Failure to follow the redundancy rules in Chege’s case further highlights poor internal controls during the recession. This case is one of several recent examples of how startup momentum can be reversible quickly amid weak financial planning and market turbulence. Marketforce’s status remains unknown, but its co-founder has moved to Chpter, a new social commerce platform that has recently raised $1.2 million in seed funding. A wider takeaway is obvious. Strong funding does not guarantee long-term success, especially in cash-intensive sectors such as emerging market B2B commerce.
