This archive report was first published on 8 November 2019.
On October 30th, 2019, Hussein Mohammed bid farewell to Citizen TV in a ceremony that masked the underlying tensions between the 'old' and 'new' teams of employees at Royal Media Services.
As Hussein, a respected TV anchor, wrapped up his last Newsnight show, his colleagues and bosses showered him with praise and well-wishes, but the atmosphere was far from celebratory.
Insiders reveal that the 'new' team, comprising journalists who joined Royal Media Services between March and July 2018, including Editorial Director Joe Ageyo, Strategy Director Linus Kaikai, and news anchor Yvonne Okwara, had been creating tension with their 'old' counterparts.
The 'new' team, who were reportedly earning up to double the salaries of their peers, had been seen as the 'dream team' brought in to take RMS to the next level. However, this created an unequal salary scale that left a bad taste in the mouths of the 'old' camp.
According to RMS insiders, Hussein Mohammed became one of the victims of the new system, with clear tension between him and the new bosses. 'His body language had been unmistakable,' said an RMS insider.
On his last day, Hussein threw hints on who were his friends and not-so-good colleagues at RMS, pointing to who could have made his life difficult at Citizen TV.
Deliberately, he never mentioned his immediate bosses Joe Ageyo and Linus Kaikai, a statement that was quite telling. Hussein chose to isolate his detractors on his last day, which turned out to be one of his high moments.
The fallout was evident as he walked out of RMS, and things have not been the same again for Citizen TV. Reports indicate that features reporter Saida Swaleh and Citizen TV reporter Dorcas Wangira, the winner of the 2019 Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling, are also leaving.
