Seasoned Editor Peter Opondo was sacked by Standard Group reportedly over ‘unsatisfactory performance”.
Peter who had been with the media house for 5 months was still under probation when he was unceremoniously shown the door.
“Accordingly, and as provided in clause 10 of your contract of employment, your services have been terminated with effect from 16th July 2021 due to unsatisfactory performance during your probation period,” the letter signed by CEO Orlando Lyomu stated in part
Opondo took the news with a strong stride even as it emerged differences with the incompetent management over Deputy President William Ruto led to his sacking.
“Life isn’t all about highs, sometimes its about lows. We rarely talk about our lows, so let me share mine. This past week, the Standard Group PLC sacked me. There was no formal appraisal or feedback, there was no documentation or minutes about my alleged performance shortcomings…They then asked me to either sign the termination letter or resign on my own volition to “protect” my professional reputation- so that the company can announce I left to pursue “personal interests”. I chose to embrace my sacking. I was fired. It is what It is.” Opondo wrote on Facebook
Until 15th July 2021, Peter Opondo was Standard Group’s Strategy and Content Editor.
Fired because of DP Ruto
Insiders at the Standard Centre, the company’s head office on Mombasa Road, are linking Opondo’s troubles to his connections with Deputy President Dr William Ruto. He and Ruto come along way. At some point, he was the DP’s point man at Mediamax Networks when he held substantial shares in the media company.
It is understood the main shareholders in the struggling media company, who include President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family and Equity Group CEO Dr James Mwangi, forced out the DP and bought off his shares. Mediamax runs People Newspaper, K24 TV among other media outlets including Kameme and Milele FM radio stations.
Since he joined Standard, it is said William Ruto has been getting more airtime on KTN and KTN News, which rubbed the management the wrong way given that Ruto is a political rival to Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, who incidentally represents the Moi family’s interests in the group as main shareholders.
Being a media veteran, Opondo knew it would not be easy to get away with such an in-house ‘crime’ but hoped to be shielded by professional ethos and the goodwill that brought him on board. Not at Standard Group, which has sacrificed great journalists before at the altar of political expediency, coupled by bad management decisions of Orlando Lyomu.
