This archive report was first published on 30 October 2019.
K24's Brutal Layoffs: A Pattern of Career Destruction ¶
On October 30, 2019, K24, a media house owned by the Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto's allies, kicked off a massive layoff, affecting 160 employees, including top TV personalities and editors.
Among those affected are Mwanaisha Chidzuga, Franklin Wambugu, Ali Mtenzi, Head of sports Torome Tirike, Tony Timase Head of Business, Senior Reporter Franklin Macharia, and Swahili Anchor Juma Bhalo.
Majority of the journalists affected were poached from leading media houses like Citizen and KTN, lured by promises of better salaries and packages. This move has earned K24 a reputation as a career killer, with a history of laying off employees after a short period.
It's alleged that the media house bars its journalists from joining the Kenya Union of Journalists, an umbrella body for journalists in Kenya. This move has sparked concerns about job security and the treatment of journalists under K24's management.
The mass retrenchment has broken the record as the bloodiest lay off in the corporate World, only rivaling Standard Group's 2017 sackings that saw about 100 talents off to the streets.
As the country's leaders preach about job creation and a growing economy, K24's actions seem to contradict these claims. The retrenchment is alleged to be a last-ditch effort to cut costs and salvage the media house's poor financial muscle.
