More Talent Set To Leave Citizen TV due to bad blood Between Top Editors
Intrigues from Royal Media Services (RMS) indicate that all is not well at the SK Macharia-owned media house, especially on the Citizen TV side.
According to reports, Mohamed Hussein, who left the station recently, could have been pushed out by top editors and the new “dream team” poached from other media houses.
Top editors of the station are said to be divided, with one camp encompassing new employees perceived to be the “dream team” while the other entailing older editors.
In one camp of antagonism are the recently poached anchors led by Joe Ageyo, Linus Kaikai, Yvone Okwara, Nimrod Taabu, Jamila Mohammed and Rashid Abdallah, said to be the cause of disharmony in the station, that has led to the exit of Mohammed.
The other involves journos who have stayed in the station for longer led by Willis Raburu, Waihiga Mwaura, Francis Gachuri, Jeff Koinange, Victoria Rubadiri, Hassan Mugambi and Jeff Koinange.
Lulu Hassan, wife to Rashid Abdallah, is torn in between the line, despite belonging to the older team while her husband belongs to the newer “dream team”. The two were awarded a new program dubbed Maria that airs every Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm, the reason Lulu is ‘neutral’ in the whole matter.
First, the “new dream team” was awarded higher salaries, as compared to their older colleagues who have been at the station for long, creating a sense of bad blood and antagonism.
The newer team is said to look down upon the older team, creating a rift that normally will not be seen on the screen, but is always felt inside the media house. Cold wars between the two teams are said to be dominating, with the older team now left shortchanged.
Business Today, a Nairobi-based business blog indicates that more talent could be on their way out, led by features reporter Saida Swaleh and award-winning journalist Dorcas Wangira.
On his exit, Hussein Mohammed thanked senior management including RMS Chair S.K. Macharia and Vice-Chair Gathoni Macharia, the managing director Wachira Waruru and his former boss Farida Karoney.
Cleverly, he did not mention or appreciate his immediate bosses Joe Ageyo and Linus Kaikai, and in turn, they also kept mum about his exit.
Coincidentally, both Kaikai and Ageyo tweeted about Wahiga Mwaura taking over the show from Hussein.
Similar wars were witnessed in February 2017 when Jeff Koinange joined the station and was awarded a salary that dwarfed every other senior editor at the station.
To harmonise things, Jeff was forced to take over the morning show at Hot 96, a station owned by RMS.
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