A one-night stand, a sexually explicit video, and a salacious WhatsApp message from hot-blooded Pawa IT CEO Oscar Limoke to his junior officer have ended in a KSh 1.3 million payout.
But how did it happen for the CEO to turn from shepherd to devourer of the flock?
Oscar Limoke Sexual Harrassment Case
It all started when the junior officer (unnamed for her safety), was hired as a Finance and Administration Associate on September 6, 2021.
Her monthly salary was Ksh120,00 and she would directly report to the CEO.
For months, she worked diligently and performed well. But over time, the tone of their relationship changed.
On September 17, 2022, Limoke sent her a WhatsApp link to an article titled “What Happens When You Stop Having Sex.”
She found it inappropriate, given that he was her boss. A colleague even warned her that another employee who had confronted him about similar behaviour had been frustrated into quitting.
Months later, on January 10, 2023, while returning from a client meeting, Limoke made another move.
He joked that her quietness in meetings might make clients think she was his “side chick.”
During the ride home, he suddenly grabbed her by the back of her head and kissed her without consent, saying, “There, now tell me what’s on your mind without fear.”
That night, he also told her the company had not hired a Finance Manager because he considered her “high potential.”
Disturbed, she told a colleague about the incident.
A day later, the CEO sent her a TikTok video of an ohangla dance filled with sexual innuendo.
Then, on January 14, 2023, after a night out with colleagues and a client at Orchid Club, things got worse.
As she went to pick her bag from his car around 2:30 a.m., Limoke groped her, pulled down her pants, and raped her.
A shaken colleague took her to St. Peter’s Hospital, but she was told to first report to the police. Unable to do so out of fear, she later sought treatment at Coptic Hospital.
Days later, Limoke kept calling and texting her.
When she ignored his messages, he asked, “Why was your mind willing, yet your body said no?”
He later sent her work-unrelated memes, vulgar jokes, and even claimed she had left her lipstick in his car, teasing her about a “one-night stand” and his “performance.”
Unable to bear it, the woman sought counseling at Usikimye.
Eventually, she formally reported the sexual harassment to her employer via email on March 28, 2023.
The email was addressed to the Company COO and HR Director (Ms Samba), who happens to be Limoke’s wife.
Fired After Reporting Abuse
Moments after sending the email, she saw the CEO and his wife speaking outside the office.
Shortly after, she was called in and removed from company communication channels; WhatsApp, email, and Slack.
And sent on compulsory leave.
She later learned that her position had been advertised on LinkedIn, confirming her fears of retaliation.
By May 5, 2023, she resigned, saying the company had failed to protect her from harassment and intimidation.
Pawa IT, however, counter-sued, demanding Sh6 million in damages for “economic loss” and Sh120,000 for resignation without notice.
During the hearing, three of her colleagues testified for her. One said Limoke had also touched her thigh and made inappropriate remarks. Another confirmed escorting the victim to hospital the night of the assault.
The CEO, his wife (the HR Director), and the lead investigator testified in their defense, but the court dismissed their claims as weak and inconsistent.
In her judgment, Justice Stella Rutto said the WhatsApp messages, explicit video, and testimony clearly showed that the CEO created a hostile and unsafe work environment.
She said Limoke’s “one-night stand” message was not humor, as he claimed.
“Why would the CEO use such language just to humour his junior? Using the term ‘one-night stand’ followed by ‘was it that bad’ is not appropriate,” she ruled.
Justice Rutto added that as CEO, failed to uphold professional boundaries and ensure a workplace free from harassment.
She found his behavior to be the “worst form of gender-based violence at the workplace.”
The court awarded the woman Sh1.3 million, including one month’s pay in lieu of notice and compensation for harassment.
The company’s counterclaim was rejected.
Oscar Limoke has since pulled down his LinkedIn Profile.
Let this be a reminder to all in power that abuse, no matter how subtle, always catches up with you.
By BNN Writer.