Stephen Gitagama, Nation Media Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Nation Media Group is planning to sack staff in a bid to stay afloat.
"At the beginning of this month, we announced changes to accelerate our business transformation agenda to assure our success in the long term and the sustainability of our journalism...Regrettably, this refocus will result in a reorganisation of our workforce," the letter by the CEO shared below said in part.
The planned sackings comes in the wake of low revenues in the sector, partly attributed to govt changes in advertising.
A rival media house, the Standard Group has reportedly not paid staff salaries for the last two months. In 2019, NMG planned to sack '30 percent of their staff soon due to difficult economic times'. In the same year, it also failed to pay its staff. The new government has vowed to revive the economy but it seems before that, many Kenyans will be rendered jobless following an impending global resession. NMG Letter Dear Colleagues,
At the beginning of this month, we announced changes to accelerate our business transformation agenda to assure our success in the long term and the sustainability of our journalism. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank each one of you for the role you continue to play in our transformation journey with diligence, commitment and passion.
We will continue to refocus on priority areas to deliver on the transformation while adequately resourcing and placing staff into areas where their skills are best utilised.
Regrettably, this refocus will result in a reorganisation of our workforce. This is an extremely difficult decision in view of the prevailing business environment. This exercise will be carried out with utmost dignity and in accordance with the Labour Laws of Kenya. We will strive to provide all the necessary support to help those affected manage the transition.
While these changes maybe unsettling, I am confident that we are collectively moving in the right direction. I, therefore, call upon each one of us to embrace the changes and champion our mission as we build the NMG of the future.
I look forward to your support in the days ahead.
Stephen Gitagama,
Group Chief Executive Officer