The lay-off at Nation Media Group began on Thursday in earnest preliminary reports showing deep cuts touching on the station’s senior editors and managers. At the moment there is a rigorous restructuring that will leave the media house numb for some time.
The process of restricting began with the newspaper section where about 40 journalists were targeted, and management before it move to the broadcast section.
The big names in the company that will be going home from the division include Nationa Newspaper Division Managing Director Francis Munywoki, partnerships & projects manager, and long-serving education editor David Aduda, Daily Nation News Editor Francis Wanyonyi Wambilianga and Business Daily Managing Editor Ng’ang’a Mbugua.
David Aduda, who previously worked as an editorial manager, is one of the editors who have negotiated an exit package where they will be contracted to offer critical editorial services under NMG’s new outsourcing model.
Other editors include George Omondi (Business Daily, Section Editor) and Eldoret regional editor (bureau chief) Jeremiah Kiplagat.
Editor Ng’ang’a Mbugua is among the editors who were promoted in January 2019, moving from Daily Nation to Managing Editor of Business Daily. Joe Mbuthia had been hoisted Production Editor/Head of Production to output editor.
Online sub-editors, Peter Choge and Momanyi Maosa who contracts expired with the company have also been sent home.
In the finance section, Alex Shikami, a Senior Internal Auditor has been shown the door.
The 40 editorial staff who have been shown the door will be receiving their letter up to next week. Sources say that younger employees who have been affected will be recalled starting August to work on a contract basis. Nation Media Group is said to be targeting 100 employees to send home.
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Funnily enough with the layoff going on in the media house, those who have been affected mostly are male employees. This would be in line with the NMG Group Editorial Director’s promise to protect ladies as much as he could.
The media house management said it is re-engineering itself to accelerate its digital transformation. In the new layout, the Group will utilize technology more and cut down on human resources.
Employees who have been affected will receive counseling support while those stationed outside Nairobi will be offered relocation assistance. The laid-off staff will also receive medical coverage for two months until August 31, 2020, in a rare show of magnanimity.
The media house has also negotiated a medical insurance scheme through its current provider which the affected staff may opt to individually join.
