Nation to fire over 100 Correspondents in ruthless purge

By Newsflash Reporter

Nation Media Group (NMG) has begun issuing redundancy notices to more than 100 Correspondents and Contributors in what insiders describe as one of the most sweeping purges in the company’s history.

Newsflash has confirmed that tens of Correspondents across Nairobi and various counties started receiving Contract Termination Notices on Thursday evening, all dispatched by the company’s Head of Legal, Sekou Owino.

Sources within the Twin Towers headquarters say the mass layoff targets contributors across all NMG platforms, including the Daily Nation, Business Daily, Taifa Leo, and regional digital outlets.

“The purge is ruthless,” said one of the affected Correspondents, who requested anonymity.

Termination letters sent nationwide

The notices, sent via email, formally communicate the company’s decision to terminate freelance and contributor contracts with a one-month notice period. A standard termination letter seen by Newsflash reads in part:

“Nation Media Group PLC wishes to give you One (1) Month’s notice of our intention to terminate the said Agreement with effect from the date of this note. Consequently, we inform you shall not be required to submit any articles for publication after XX December, 2025.”

The letter, signed by General Counsel S. Owino, instructs recipients to submit any pending invoices before the notice expires to facilitate settlement. It ends with a request for the journalist to acknowledge receipt.

Several of the affected correspondents say they were caught off guard, noting that the notices were not preceded by consultations or performance reviews.

Some have worked with the media house for more than twenty years, covering major political shifts, elections, and policy transitions across Kenya and the broader East African region.

NMG cites cost-cutting and changing consumer trends

NMG, the largest media organization in East Africa with a presence in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, has defended the layoffs as part of a broader restructuring exercise.

According to internal communication, the purge is aimed at “reducing cost” and “aligning with the changing consumer trends” as audiences increasingly shift from print to digital platforms.

A newspaper stand in Kenya. Photo/Handout

Industry observers say the move reflects growing financial pressures within traditional media houses, which continue to grapple with declining print revenue and rising production costs.

NMG has over the years tried to adapt through digital subscriptions, newsroom consolidation, and cross-platform content integration, but the latest purge suggests deeper structural challenges.

For many correspondents, the mass termination signals the end of longstanding relationships with one of Africa’s most influential news organizations.

Some say they fear the decision will significantly weaken the company’s grassroots reporting network, especially in remote regions where correspondents play a critical role in gathering news.

Poorly remunerated Correspondents

Correspondents are usually paid a retainer of between KSh15,000 and KSh20,000, and are also paid per story. When they leave, they walk away with nothing, as they do not receive a pension. They only get medical cover; whose benefits are lower than those offered to permanent staff. Contributors or freelancers do not receive a retainer; they earn per story and have no medical cover.

The decision to fire correspondents and contributors was reached by the board following concerns that correspondents and freelancers do over 60 percent of the work compared to permanent staff, thereby drawing a huge amount of money and overburdening the payroll.

Journalists in a newsroom. Photo/Nairobi Leo

The board believes some permanent staff produce only one or two stories per week, leaving the bulk of the work to correspondents.

The company now wants permanent staff, including editors and sub-editors, to write all the stories. Editors and sub-editors will be required to produce at least four exclusive stories a month, in addition to their editing duties.

Dwindling financial fortunes

The layoffs come barely eight months since Geoffrey Odundo assumed office as CEO, at a time when the company has been struggling for more than three years. Nation Media Group’s financial fortunes have continued to slide, with its net loss for the year ending December 2024 rising to Ksh254 million, up from Ksh205 million in 2023. Although the firm managed to slightly reduce its losses in the first half of the year, it remains far from stabilising.

In its push to streamline operations for a more digital-driven future, the company has been spending heavily on staff exits, hoping a leaner workforce will cut costs. In 2024 alone, NMG spent Ksh157.8 million on redundancy payouts—an amount that significantly deepened its losses.

The fresh wave of contract terminations targeting contributors now seems to signal the direction of the company’s end-year strategy. As has become routine, more job cuts are expected, with permanent staff—mainly journalists and marketing teams—likely to be affected either just before or shortly after Christmas, but certainly before the close of the first quarter of 2026.