The story of Kizito Namulanda is a painful reminder of how fragile the media industry has become and how quickly loyalty can be discarded when money runs low. For 15 years, he gave his best to the Standard Group, shaping newsrooms, mentoring journalists, and delivering high-quality work.
But while he fought for his life in hospital rooms far from home, his employer quietly prepared to cut him off. His dismissal during cancer treatment now exposes a troubling pattern within the struggling media house. This is the story many fear to tell, but it must be told.
The ordeal of Kizito Namulanda during his fight for life
Kizito Namulanda’s journey began with a simple hoarse voice in February 2022. His doctor noticed the seriousness of the symptom and recommended a visit to a throat specialist. That visit changed his life. The diagnosis was throat cancer, a reality that left him devastated. With a young son depending on him, the thought of battling a deadly disease weighed heavily on him.
Online information only made everything worse. Late-stage throat cancer survival stories were grim. He said each search increased his fear and left him wondering whether he would live long enough to raise his child.
Further tests confirmed how advanced the cancer was, and doctors advised him to travel to India for more aggressive treatment. That journey marked the beginning of his long and painful battle for survival.
His treatment involved both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The medications weakened him, and the effects were brutal. His weight fell from 74kg to only 40kg. Eating became a nightmare because radiotherapy made swallowing nearly impossible. He lost his appetite and strength at the same time.
When he returned to Kenya, the Covid-19 situation forced him into strict isolation. His immunity was too weak to handle even the mildest infection. Doctors warned him that coronavirus exposure could be fatal, so he stayed indoors for months, hoping the situation would improve.
He later went back to India for routine treatment. Surgeons performed a delicate operation and removed part of his voice box. He described the hours before surgery in emotional detail. He whispered silent prayers, unsure of what awaited him. When he woke up in the ICU, strapped and surrounded by machines, he felt like he was living inside a film. His wife stood by him, overwhelmed but relieved he was alive.
When the senior editor learned he had been dismissed
Just when recovery looked possible, another tragedy hit Kizito Namulanda. On the day he attended his three-month post-surgery review in India, a colleague sent him a disturbing message. The colleague had received a termination notice from the Standard Group and reached out to thank him for supporting his career at KTN.
That message confused him. He had no idea that the company had started a retrenchment process. He soon realized he too had been targeted. The news hit him during one of his most vulnerable moments. He was thousands of miles away, weak, stitched up, and fighting cancer. Yet his employer chose that exact moment to sever ties.
The battle to save his job and the humiliation that followed
When Kizito Namulanda returned to Kenya, he tried to challenge the dismissal. He hoped the Standard Group would consider his health condition. He believed his years of service and his loyalty would count for something.
But the company allegedly insisted on pushing him out. According to him, they offered severance pay in ten monthly instalments, a sign that the media house was financially strained. He said he was told to sign the termination letter or risk losing everything. With no strength and no bargaining power, he signed.
Fourteen months later, he claims the Standard Group has not fully honoured the severance agreement. He has written email after email pleading for the settlement. His financial situation is now dire, and he fears the stress could take him backward medically.
The unanswered questions about Standard Group’s ethics and treatment of workers
The treatment of Kizito Namulanda raises serious questions about the ethics of major news organisations in Kenya. How does a company dismiss a long-serving editor while he is undergoing life-saving treatment abroad Why threaten to withhold his severance pay Why delay payments for over a year while he struggles with financial strain
His story exposes a media house on its knees financially and a management style that treats workers as disposable, even during serious health crises. If a senior editor can suffer like this, what does that mean for junior staff who lack visibility and influence
For many journalists, his experience is a warning. It shows a collapsing industry where loyalty no longer protects anyone. It also forces a national debate on workplace protections for employees battling chronic illnesses.
Today, Kizito Namulanda continues to hope for humanity from the employer he served for 15 years. His fight for survival and dignity continues, long after the cancer surgery.
