Nation Media Group’s newspaper section continues to lose journalists with a good number having left in the last month or so. The biggest exit was the resignation of Nation newspapers Business Editor Wachira Kang’aru, who left at the end of last week after serving his notice.
It’s not very clear why Mr Kang’aru, who was poached from Safaricom’s communications department in 2011 to replace Luke Mulunda, who had resigned after falling out with then Group Editorial Director Joseph Odindo, decided to call it quits.
But the timing of his resignation tells part of the reasons. Coming as it did barely two months after the Group merged all the business desks under the converged newsroom model, Kang’aru may have felt sidelined in the new scheme of things. Under the converged model, the Nation business desk team was moved from third floor of Nation Centre to Business Daily’s sixth floor under BD’s managing editor, Ochieng Rapuro.
Besides, Kanga’ru lost control of the Daily Nation business news segment which was taken over by Business Daily editors. He was left with only the Smart Company magazine, which was last year downgraded from a pullout magazine to become part of main-run Daily Nation as the company cut down on printing costs. Sources say he was also put in charge of low-profile magazine sections of the Business Daily.
This left him with no substantial docket, a strategy that media houses use to make a position redundant. He hit the exit door before that happened.
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Kang’aru, a trained lawyer, cut his teeth in business journalism at the Daily Nation business desk before joining his former boss at the Nation, Washington Akumu, who had left for Safaricom’s communications office.
There are rumours that he could be returning to Safaricom but he has remained tight-lipped on his next destination. Some say he is going into business, while another source indicated he could be headed to BAT, which has been looking for a communications manager with a legal background.
Before he left, the Daily Nation business desk had almost been depleted of reporters, with most quitting for greener pastures. Some of those who left include Joshua Masinde, Ramenya Gibendi, Mwaniki Wahome and, more recently, Immaculate Karambu, who joined Kenya Power.
The Business Daily has not been spared. It has lately lost property beat reporter John Gachiri to PR agency Engage BM, while another, Allan Odhiambo, is on his way out.
Meanwhile, the East African newspaper suffered a major blow after two of its key writers also left. Christine Ligami and Scholastica Kamau resigned almost at the same time last month in what is more than a coincidence. The two have been writing news and features for the weekly regional newspaper headed by Pamela Sitoni.
