President Uhuru Kenyatta family controlled media company- Mediamax Network Limited that owns K24TV and The People Daily newspaper is set to offload more personnel due to Covid 19 pandemic. Several its journalists were declared redundant in April, the company also rolled out pay cut measures to reduce cost but the management still says the company is still struggling.
In a letter to the county labour office, Mediamax acting CEO Ken Ngaruiya says that the company will abolish some positions as part of its staff rationalization and cost cutting measures as business tanks.
“The services of some of its employees will be rendered superfluous thereby necessitating the termination of their employment on account of redundancy. In accordance with the provisions of Section .10 of the Employment Act. No. II of 2007, Mediamax Network Limited hereby gives one (1) month’s notice of the intended redundancies,” said Mr Ngaruiya.
The employees declared redundant will be given one month’s notice or, alternatively, pay one month salary in lieu of notice and a severance package at the rate of 15 (fifteen) days wage for each year of service.
In September 2019, Mediamax fired at least 160 employees, including top K24 and People Daily editors in another cost-cutting move.
Among those who were sent packing include; Caleb Ratemo and Franklin Wambugu. Others included; Mwanaisha Chidzuga, Torome Tirike, Tony Timase, Fred Njiri, Anders Ihaji, Juma Bhalo, Ali Mtenzi, Boniface Mutakha.
Kameme FM’s Moses Kanyira was also fired after working for the company for over a decade.
In April the Mediamax found itself embroiled in a salary cut tussle with top employees, with at least 36 senior employees moving to court to block the cuts.
Already two have resigned in the struggle, including Head of TV and Digital Peter Opondo and Head of Commercial Caroline Mwangi.
Mediamax also owns KamemeTv, Emoo FM, Kameme FM, Msenangu (formerly Pilipili FM), Mayian FM and Meru FM).
