Prior to a significant layoff scheduled for September and amidst the ongoing financial challenges faced by Kenya’s media sector due to declining advertising revenue, esteemed radio host Caroline Mutoko has amicably departed from Radio Africa Group.
Having overseen programming at Kiss 100 and the group’s marketing department, Mutoko discreetly severed ties with the media company as part of a strategic initiative to reduce Radio Africa’s payroll, according to reliable sources.
Radio Africa Group’s finance director, Robert Kibutiri, was also terminated and will conclude his tenure by the end of July, indicating a substantial cost-cutting measure that affects even top-level management.
“While these two individuals have already departed, several months ago, approximately 40 employees were laid off due to redundancy,” disclosed an insider.
The impending mass layoff in September will deplete the newsroom of its talent, exacerbating the ongoing challenges faced by Kenyan media houses, as they grapple with dwindling audiences and advertising revenues, which constitute the industry’s primary source of income.
In related developments, Nation Media Group, the largest media outlet in the region, recently retrenched journalists as it endeavors to transition into a digital publisher.
The affected individuals primarily comprised revision editors, reporters, online video producers, and magazine editors, all of whom were deemed redundant.
Similarly, Standard Media Group, which has been struggling to meet salary obligations since the previous year, also downsized its workforce by letting go of highly skilled personnel.
Noteworthy journalists affected by these actions include Hassan Mwana wa Ali, Ted Malanda, Jacob Ayoo, Mercy Korir, and others.
Prior to her tenure at Kiss FM, Mutoko served as a radio presenter at Capital FM for four years. She then dominated the airwaves for an impressive 14-year period at Kiss FM, where she had been associated since 1989.
The Nation Media Group offices are housed in the Nation Centre building located on Kimathi Street in Nairobi.
