The Standard Media Group has shut down their city-centre offices at I&M building as it converges its operations to its Mombasa Road office in cost-cutting measures.
This is the second time the Moi-owned media house is closing the city-centre offices, in which they resumed operations in March 2017.
I&M has been housing its newsroom and part of the commercial operations, while the Standard Group Centre along Mombasa Road mainly houses the management, editorial, KTN and Radio Maisha studios.
Sources from within intimate that few reporters attached to the city desk will remain at I&M, a bureau that will cover stories around the city centre.
Read:Â PwC Appointed Standard Media Group’s External Auditor Following KPMG’s Exit
The media house, which is the second-largest in Kenya, hopes to rejuvenate its revenues by cutting costs such as rent to the I&M Bank, which owns the I&M building.
In recent times, the group has been recording shrinking revenues, which forced the management in 2020 to get rid of some of the highest-earning employees in cost-cutting measures.
Some of those fired include Ellen Wanjiru, the KTN managing Editor, Standard Sub-editor Anthony Malesi and Kiswahili TV anchor Frank Otieno.
Others are Standard Newspaper reporters Moses Njagi and Protus Onyango, KTN News Editor Patrick Injendi and Former Kakamega Bureau Chief, John Atambo.
Read Also: Tension High At Standard Group As Senior Staff Are Fired
The Standard Group houses KTN Home, KTN News, Radio Maisha, The Standard Newspaper, The Nairobian (a weekly tabloid) and newly launched Vybez Radio, Spice FM, KTN Burudani and KTN Farmers.
The media house, which is seemingly waking up from its shambles, has decided to hire some big names ahead of 2022 General Elections and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) referendum.
In December 2020, the group promoted Kizito Namulanda as the managing editor to replace Ellen Wanjiru who was unceremoniously shown the door.
Read Also: KPMG Resigns As External Auditor For The Standard Media Group
Kizito had been the Head of Convergence at Standard Group since being appointed to the position in April 2018 after Joe Ageyo decamped to Royal Media Services.
The group has also hired the services of their former news anchor Betty Kyalo who was pushed out of Mediamax’s K24 over salary tussle that went public.
Today, Kizito tweeted a photo of the new newsroom at Mombasa Road, which he termed as “digital newsroom”.
“It’s a brand new digital newsroom. It’s super!” said Kizito.
It's a brand new digital newsroom. It's super! pic.twitter.com/5yA0JKleqR
— Kizito Namulanda (@KizitoNamulanda) March 2, 2021
The employees will have to adjust to the new set-up, since some live in places far away from the Mombasa Road-based office.
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