This archive report was first published on 25 July 2019.
Published on July 25, 2019, Standard Group is on a recruitment drive to poach top editors from Nation Media Group in a bid to strengthen its editorial leadership.
According to Business Today, the Standard has approached three editors at Nation Media Group and has been holding separate talks with them. The media house, principally owned by former President Daniel Moi's family, is headhunting for journalists to take over the positions of Managing Editor for daily and weekend.
Among those approached are Kariuki Waihenya, who was production editor at Nation, Washington Gikunju, assistant editor of the Business Daily, and Mutinda Munyao, associate editor at The East African weekly newspaper.
Waihenya, who has previously worked as chief sub-editor for Daily Nation and Business Daily, has been moved to the Special Projects desk in charge of education content at the Daily Nation. Gikunju, a solid business writer and strict editor with over ten years experience at the Business Daily, manages the newspaper in the absence of the managing editor.
Munyao, known to be a wordsmith, worked as a writer and sub-editor at The Standard before joining Nation in the same capacity. He rose to the position of sub-editor, then chief sub-editor, of The East African.
The Standard search for a managing editor comes after changes in the editorial structure by abolishing the position of Editorial Director and opting for the editor-in-chief model. The daily edition is run by Kipkoech Tanui, who doubled as Deputy Editorial Director and Managing Editor Daily under the defunct formation, while the weekend is managed by John Bundotich.
Nation Media has been under siege, with its rivals targeting its talent for poaching. Mediamax, which publishes the People Daily, has lately been camping at Nation Centre and has made away with a number of journalists, while others are still on their way to DSM Place, the Mediamax head offices in Nairobi.
