NAIROBI, Kenya –The landscape of Kenyan journalism stands at a critical crossroads as retrenchment and layoffs become a permanent fixture of the media industry.
For many professionals in the sector, the once stable newsroom has been replaced by a climate of persistent anxiety, where the fear of losing one’s livelihood looms over daily operations.
Over the last five years, major media houses have consistently shed talent, citing financial constraints and the need for structural redundancy. While this shift has pushed some resourceful individuals to explore new career paths, for the majority, it has resulted in profound professional and personal distress.
The scale of this crisis was sharply illustrated in mid-2024 when The Standard Group issued a redundancy notice that affected over 300 journalists across all departments. By the end of August that year, a significant portion of the country’s veteran-storytelling talent found themselves jobless. One senior producer and presenter recalled that the process was as cold as it was swift, begining with an email notice and followed by a phone call instructing staff not to report to work.
Despite promises that salary arrears would be settled within a year, many former employees are still waiting for their dues, leading to allegations that interns secure cheap labour
at the expense of quality are replacing experienced professionals.
This trend showed no signs of slowing as the industry moved into late 2025. In November, Nation Media Group issued layoff notices to over 100 correspondents, many of whom relied solely on the outlet for their income. This wave of dismissals forced seasoned reporters into a desperate search for alternative livelihoods during an already a difficult economic period.
The recurring nature of these cuts have led senior insiders at Royal Media Services to question whether layoffs are a genuine solution-in addition to financial instability. There is a growing concern that by letting go of the anchor brands, the personalities that attract both audiences, media houses are inadvertently driving away the revenue they seek to protect. Ultimately, the exodus of veteran talent is reshaping the relationship between the media and the public.
As high-profile journalists transition to their own digital platforms, audiences are following them, further eroding the influence and productivity of traditional mainstream outlets. If the cycle of retrenchment remains the primary response to the challenges of the digital age, the quality of Kenyan journalism may continue to decline, leaving the future of
the entire industry in a state of high stakes uncertainty.
This article was first published by Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) Bulletin
