A former senior executive at Craft Silicon’s ride-hailing unit Little Cab has been awarded USD 758,000 after Kenya’s Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled he was unlawfully terminated to block him from benefiting from a promised equity stake.
Ronald Otieno Mahondo, Little’s first General Manager, joined the startup in April 2016 with a mandate to build the platform from scratch. He said he was granted 1% ownership as part of his compensation, a claim supported by a secret audio recording of Craft Silicon CEO Kamal Budhabhatti acknowledging the agreement.
Justice Mathews Nduma said the recording was “credible, consistent, and verifiable,” and found Mahondo was “victimised” for demanding a countersigned contract reflecting the share award. The court awarded him USD 8,000 for unfair termination and USD 750,000 for the value of the 1% stake, based on a USD 75 million valuation of the ride-hailing company.
Mahondo joined Little on a monthly salary of USD 1,860, later revised to USD 2,630, as the company scaled rapidly. But after he pushed for his equity documentation, he received a series of disciplinary memos before being “normally terminated” in May 2017. Craft Silicon argued he was an unsystematic manager who strained workplace relations and said it paid him USD 4,900 in dues upon exit.
The court noted Budhabhatti did not directly deny the equity promise and highlighted allegations that another Little director which TechMoran will not name, issued threats and harassment as talks over the share documentation intensified.
Craft Silicon did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Craft Silicon, a Nairobi-based fintech founded by Budhabhatti, provides core banking and mobile financial software across Africa and Asia. In 2016, it launched Little Cab, a homegrown Uber and Bolt competitor and rapidly expanded across multiple cities and countries. Little Cab banked on mobile wallet payments, corporate ride solutions, and loyalty features for growth. Share-based compensation has become increasingly common in Kenya’s technology ecosystem as startups compete for talent in high-growth sectors.