KTN News crime reporter quits cites lack of progress

A key reporter at struggling KTN has quit over the lack of a clear roadmap and progress.

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Sirajuraman Abdullahi left the company to pursue personal interests amid concerns the ongoing bloodletting is affecting business.

He told colleagues he has stagnated for a long and his desk is getting no support.

This happens even as the main shareholders seem less concerned.

Siraj as he is popularly known joins Linda Ogutu, Ben Kitili, Brian Obuya and Hussein Mohamed who have quit in recent months.

This comes amid ongoing poor ratings at the station which is struggling in the market.

It has also emerged that the despotic editor in chief Ochieng Rapuro has had issues with key reporters of KTN since his arrival.

Among those who have been victims of his toxic tongue and rogue management style include Zubeida Kananu, Geff Kirui and Dr. Mercy Korir.

Geff Kirui got a show-cause letter last month from Rapuro who accused him of working for DP William Ruto.

“Rapuro watched Geff’s story on DP one evening and accused Kirui of being “fed” storylines from Emmanuel Talam (DP’s communication director). He then told him to explain why he was relying on footage for DPPS,” an insider said.

Rapuro then directed that if DPPS sends footage, then it must be raw and its the editors to determine what angle to use instead of those already prepared by Talam’s team.

On Mercy Korir, Rapuro told her to drop the title “Doctor” when reporting saying KTN is not a hospital. “If you want to be called Doctor, just go and work in a hospital not here,” he the KTN health and medical reporter. Dr. Korir is a medical doctor by profession who elected to practice as a journalist and had been a key asset in covering matters health from a point of knowledge especially following the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, following an outrage from the newsroom, Rapuro later allowed her to use the title.

At one time, Rapuro is said to have told Ms. Kananu who is KTN’s Kiswahili Editor not to refer to her position as Vice President of the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG). “That title is used out the not in this newsroom.” Coincidentally Rapuro’s closet friend Churchill Otieno is the President of KEG where Rapuro is an active member.

The rogue editor also has since banned KTN and the Standard newspaper from covering crime stories given by the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

He told reporters that the Standard Group can not be used by “publicity seeking” DCI George Kinoti to prosecute his cases in the media nor “incompetent” EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak to harass Governors.

So whenever corruption suspects are summoned to either DCI or Intergrity House, Rapuro’s instructions are that the stories can not be covered except when the suspects are arraigned in court.

“Since Rapuro came here and Orlando took over as CEO things are bad. It’s a wait and see,” said an insider.

It comes as the station key reporter Sofia Wanuna is under the radar over her conduct in and outside. Internally, she is said to be “close” to a number of top managers.

One of the managers had even promised to make her a managing editor.

This did not happen and it affected her ego and performance at large. She was also pictured kissing chief finance manager Joseph Kiruri in a compromising situation.

The social media is a wash with her pictures kissing people all over. This is under discussion internally but others fear she may spill the beans over her escapades with the managers.

As Orlando and the top managers enjoy themselves, majority of staff are crying as Standard Group walks down almost a similar route that the defunct Kenya Times went before it folded.

The Gideon Moi and Joshua Kulei owned media house has not been remitting contributions to the private pension schemed managed by Liaison Group nor to the workers sacco in spite of deducting the money for the last two years.

Equally staff are being paid salaries in phases while private security firm 911 linked to Kulei too has not been paid over Sh9 million.

Guards at I&M offices and those at Mombasa Road headquarters have not been paid since November.

Staff are now wondering if Gideon Moi and Kulei have given up on the company and are willing to let it die.