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Kenya’s Mediamax to lay off undisclosed number of staff in latest job cuts in 2025

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Mediamax Network Ltd headquarters in Kenya, amid 2025 staff layoff announcement.
Kenya's Mediamax Network Ltd announces 2025 staff layoffs as part of restructuring efforts, with the exact number of affected employees undisclosed.

Introduction

Mediamax Network Limited, the parent company of K24 TV and People Daily, has announced plans to lay off an undisclosed number of employees, its sixth round of job cuts in four years. The media company cited shifting consumer habits, accelerated digital disruption, and what it termed as punitive government regulations as reasons for the latest restructuring.

Mediamax CEO Ken Ngaruiya said in an internal memo seen by TechCabal that a challenging macroeconomic environment, rapid digital disruption, and a significant drop in sales volumes have forced the company to reassess its business model.

The affected employees will receive salaries for days worked up to the termination date, salary in lieu of notice, payment for accrued leave not taken, and severance pay calculated at 15 days for each completed year of service, minus any outstanding amounts owed to the media company.

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Media in Crisis: Mediamax and the Broader Collapse of Kenya’s Traditional Media Landscape

In July 2025, Mediamax Network Limited—known for outlets such as K24 TV, People Daily, and several radio stations including Milele FM and Kameme FM—announced its sixth round of layoffs in just four years. In an internal memo, CEO Ken Ngaruiya cited multiple stressors: shrinking ad revenues, digital disruption, and what he characterized as “punitive government regulations.” The most recent retrenchment reflects a wider crisis in Kenya’s media ecosystem, where over 500 journalists and media workers have been laid off in the past two years alone Reddit+12TechCabal+12sauce.co.ke+12.

These developments mirror broader shifts across the Kenyan media landscape: advertising budgets have been slashed, traditional readership is declining, and government advertising—with which media houses previously relied—has become increasingly centralized and politicized. Meanwhile, legacy media contention has accelerated the shift to digital‑first strategies, with newsrooms pivoting to online platforms, social media, and video content in a race for relevance.

1. The Advertising Crisis and Government Interference

Historically, government advertising accounted for around 30% of major Kenyan media’s revenues Semafor+1Semafor+1. However, the current administration awarded a two-year contract for its MyGov pullout magazine exclusively to The Star—a relatively marginal publication—effectively locking out outlets like Nation Media Group, Standard Media, and Mediamax’s People Daily Semafor+1Semafor+1.

This centralization is widely seen as politically motivated. Critics argue it rewards pro‑government media while punishing outlets perceived as critical or aligned with opposition voices. Professor George Nyabuga, an academic at Aga Khan University, described the Government Advertising Agency’s (GAA) system as a form of “soft censorship” that siphons funds toward compliant outlets while refusing or delaying payments to dissenting ones Journalism Hub+1Semafor+1.

Indeed, media houses report millions of Kenyan shillings in unpaid invoices by both national and county governments—for some, dating back over a decade. These unpaid debts have prompted delayed salary payouts, salary cuts, and layoffs across the board Swala Nyeti+8Journalism Hub+8Semafor+8.

Such policies have exacted a particularly heavy toll on Mediamax, where CEO Ngaruiya specifically blamed delays in government payments and the decision to channel all advertising through a single outlet for suppressing their sales and operating capacity Semafor+6TechCabal+6Swala Nyeti+6.

2. Structural Media Decline: Digital Disruption and Business Model Collapse

The crisis at Mediamax is symptomatic of a global pattern: print circulation is declining, broadcast audiences are fragmenting, and media businesses continue to rely on traditional ad models that no longer sustain profitability. As web-based platforms, digital ad exchanges (like Google and Facebook), and social media giants absorb ad budgets, traditional owners are left struggling to pivot and monetize loyal online audiences effectively Reddit+13Reddit+13Semafor+13.

Reddit commentary from Kenyan media professionals underscores this trend:

“Our digital numbers are good but the guys like Tuko… are making a better kill.”
“All legacy media will shrink as ad tech gets better… Millennials & Gen Z don’t really watch TV…. It’s all streaming, piracy, social media & video games.” sauce.co.ke+12Information Saves Lives | Internews+12Journalism Hub+12Reddit+1Journalism Hub+1

That analysis reflects reality. Across Kenya, media houses have launched multiple rounds of layoffs as they try to shrink operations and recalibrate around digital content, social branding, and short‑form video. In many ways, the once‑powerful business model based on print advertising and lineups of columnists has collapsed, with the era of the “pivot to video”—the shift toward short video on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube—being driven primarily by advertisers rather than consumers WikipediaReddit.

3. Mediamax’s Internal Reckoning: CEO Ngaruiya’s Warnings

In company-wide communications, Ken Ngaruiya spelled out the confluence of pressures:

  • A challenging macroeconomic environment, including inflationary headwinds and reduced consumer spending.
  • Rapid digital disruption, fragmenting audiences and diverting ad dollars to platforms outside any traditional media ecosystem.
  • A sharp drop in sales volumes, rooted in both domestic economic contraction and changes in media consumption behavior.
  • Government policies—from enforced single-sourcing of national advertising to the tightening of betting and gambling ad rules—that undercut Mediamax’s revenue streams Swala Nyeti+4TechCabal+4Dabafinance+4Dabafinance+1allAfrica.com+1.

That latest round of layoffs is the sixth since 2021, underscoring a pattern of persistent financial distress. While the exact number of employees cut has not been disclosed, company memos promise salaries for days worked, pay in lieu of notice, compensation for untaken leave, and severance equating to 15 days per completed year of service, minus any debts owed to the company—a modest offer considering the depth of the structural crisis facing Kenyan media TechCabal+3sauce.co.ke+3Dabafinance+3.

4. Industry-Wide Fallout: From Layoffs to Independent Journalism

As Mediamax restructures, the wider sector is also hemorrhaging talent. The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) reports that 2,000 journalists have lost their jobs in the last five years, and less than 50% of the journalists employed in 2019 remain actively employed in traditional newsrooms in 2025 The Star.

Yet this disruption has spurred innovation. Smaller digital natives and independent content creators are stepping into the void. As one industry commentator put it:

“We used to work for the media. Now, we are the media.” kenyamedia.reboot.org+3Reddit+3Reddit+3hezroninsights.com

Sites like Kenyans.co.ke have thrived by focusing on lean workflows, agile digital-native publishing, revenue diversification (ads, consulting, newsletters, sponsorships), and strong social engagement—even without corporate backing or a legacy print brand TechCabal+3Information Saves Lives | Internews+3hezroninsights.com+3.

Some former journalists have launched niche digital platforms such as Lake Region Bulletin (focusing on health, agriculture, environment in western Kenya), which was ranked among the best‑performing news websites at the AJEA awards. Others are pursuing freelance, grant‑funded, or community‑funded journalism, breaking stories or producing podcasts, videos, and investigative content from press‑club hubs across the country hezroninsights.com+1Wikipedia+1.

5. Policy Reform and Media Sustainability: What’s at Stake?

Industry voices, including the Media Council of Kenya, Editors Guild, and academia, have called for urgent reforms:

  • Clearing the government’s outstanding advertising debts—estimated at several billion Kenyan shillings (USD 10 million+).
  • Revising procurement policies to decentralize public ad spending and end single‑source mandates via MyGov and GAA.
  • Lowering the cost of operating, including taxes on broadcast equipment and registration costs.
  • Establishing a media diversity fund or public subsidy to support independent and community radio and TV stations TechCabal+2Information Saves Lives | Internews+2The Star+2Reddit+6Journalism Hub+6Semafor+6.

As MCK’s David Omwoyo addressed media professionals, pay delays and job loss are not irreversible; press clubs and digital platforms could become the new newsroom model. But without financial relief and structural reform, Kenya risks losing its journalistic diversity and watchdog capacity Information Saves Lives | Internews+3The Star+3Semafor+3.

6. The Path Forward: Survival, Reinvention, Resilience

For legacy media—and for the journalists formerly under their roof—the path forward is defined by adaptability:

A) Reinvention of Business Models

Rather than rely solely on ad sales, platforms are experimenting with diversified revenue: digital subscriptions, paywalls for premium content, sponsored branded stories, events, podcasts, and micro‑donations.

B) Embracing Independent Media Ecosystems

Journalists are building their own digital houses—blogs, newsletters, YouTube channels, podcasts—and aggregating across platforms to reach niche audiences. The Content Management and Monetization Platform launched through press clubs helps professionals leverage their content directly The Star.

C) Leveraging Community & Collaborative Journalism

Small community outlets and vernacular-language channels boost local engagement. Grants, donor support, and partnerships with NGOs or civic organizations help sustain stories in the public interest.

D) Press Freedom & Media Advocacy

Stakeholders argue that press freedom and sustainability are inseparable. When government policy skews ad spend or delays payments, media independence is compromised. Reforming procurement, reinforcing industry neutrality laws, and protecting journalists from financial coercion are essential steps Journalism HubReddit.

Conclusion

Mediamax’s distress is not isolated. It is emblematic of an entire media ecosystem in transition and turmoil. Kenya’s press industry has grown leaner, digital-first, and more fragmented—but without reforms, sustainable models, or fair access to government funding, its future is precarious.

  • Mediamax faces existential pressure from revenue collapse, policy shifts halving betting‑ad income, and a monopoly on state ad spend.
  • Traditional newsrooms continue retrenching staff amid digital disruption and shrinking consumer attention.
  • Independent voices and digital-first platforms are rising—but they struggle without structural support.
  • Press freedom and editorial independence themselves are at risk if advertising can be weaponized through government influence.

Ultimately, sustainability will require a mix of platform innovation, policy change, and investment in alternative media models. Kenyan journalists and media houses are not powerless. With imagination, collaboration, and backing, they can evolve into a resilient ecosystem built for today’s fragmented, digital, and politically complex media environment.

Media Firms Restructure amid Financial Strain: NMG and Standard Group Reductions

In mid‑2024, Kenya’s traditional media landscape faced sweeping job cuts as major outlets adjusted to mounting economic pressure, digital disruption, and evolving consumer behavior. Notably:

1. Nation Media Group: A Digital Pivot with Human Cost

Nation Media Group, which operates NTV, Daily Nation, and multiple radio stations across East Africa, announced a workforce reduction in mid‑2024 affecting key departments including print and television. The stated goal was aligning with a strategy to become leaner, more agile, and better suited to a digital‑first economy. CEO Stephen Gitagama attributed the retrenchment to shifting audience habits, lower print circulation, and the need to restructure for long‑term sustainability Khusoko – East African Markets.

Despite being smaller in scale than subsequent cuts at other firms, the layoffs spotlighted a systemic challenge: legacy media businesses wrestling with digital disruption while offloading critical newsroom talent.

2. Standard Group’s Major Job Cuts amid Losses and Leadership Change

At the end of July 2024, Standard Group PLC gave formal notice that it would declare redundancy for over 300 employees, with the process taking effect on August 31. A notification to the Ministry of Labour outlined planned severance, notice pay, accrued leave compensation, and pension benefits per Kenya’s Employment Act and collective agreements Kenya Times+9Khusoko – East African Markets+9Pulselive Kenya+9.

These reductions were prompted by a financial downturn: Standard Group recorded a Ksh 200 million loss before tax in the first half of 2024, as total revenue fell from Ksh 1.26 billion to Ksh 1.049 billion year‑on‑year, a 16.8% drop. Consequently, the board cited a need to restructure operations and embrace efficiency under new CEO Marion Gathoga‑Mwangi, appointed effective July 15, 2024 Kenya Times+1Pulselive Kenya+1.

The company described its action as a reorganisation essential for survival in a media environment increasingly dominated by digital consumption patterns. The restructuring plan also involved rationalising product lines and merging channels like KTN News and KTN Farmers TV with lifestyle outlets to reduce costs Kenya Times+1Khusoko – East African Markets+1.

These layoffs occurred amid broader shifts across the media sector in Kenya. Traditional advertising revenues—long the backbone of print and broadcast models—were under sustained pressure due to economic downturns, inflation, and reduced client spending. At the same time, global technology disruption and changing audience behavior have diverted ad dollars to digital platforms like Google, Facebook, TikTok, and independent online news sites Reddit+8Pulselive Kenya+8sauce.co.ke+8.

Media Council of Kenya data and industry reporting highlight these developments: hundreds of journalists and media staff losing jobs across media houses, declining print circulation, and mounting difficulty for legacy outlets to monetize digital traffic. Combined, these dynamics have eroded financial sustainability and forced structural shifts across the sector.

4. Human Impact on Newsrooms and Editorial Capacity

The Standard Group layoffs significantly impacted newsroom staffing for flagship publications such as The Standard, Nairobian, KTN Home, and Radio Maisha, raising concerns over journalists’ livelihoods and the preservation of editorial depth. In several cases, staff withheld salaries, unpaid contributions, and benefits sparked protests and strikes—further exposing the fragility of media institutions under cash flow stress Khusoko – East African Markets+1Kenyans+1.

Meanwhile, the NMG reduction, though lighter in number, disproportionately affected journalists in both print and broadcast teams, diminishing capacity to cover stories comprehensively or invest in investigative reporting. Many skilled reporters and producers were let go or reassigned as digital-only operations expanded.

5. Industry-Wide Implications and Adaptive Strategies

Together, these restructuring events at NMG and Standard Group reflect the accelerated pivot by Kenyan media towards digital-first models, cost rationalization, and operational agility. But the shift is fraught:

  • Legacy media is shedding institutional knowledge and reducing editorial staffing.
  • There’s increasing reliance on content aggregation and automated production.
  • Independent digital publishers and freelancers are entering the space—but they face monetization challenges without institutional backing or scale.

Some journalists laid off have responded by launching independent digital platforms, newsletters, podcasts, or niche local outlets—attempting to rebuild using lean, agile models. However, without broader sector investment and supportive policy reforms, these efforts struggle to match the reach and influence of established media brands.

6. Policy Reform & Support Mechanisms

Media practitioners and advocacy organizations are calling for urgent change. Key recommendations include:

  • Clearing government advertising debts and ensuring timely payments to media houses.
  • Ending centralized single‑source procurement for state advertising and diversifying public ad funding.
  • Supporting independent media through grants, capacity-building, and regulated media diversity funds.
  • Lowering operating costs via tax relief on broadcast infrastructure and simplified licensing processes.

These measures aim to protect media diversity and press freedom, while ensuring that digital transition does not come at the expense of journalistic integrity or inclusive coverage.

7. Conclusion: A Sector at a Crossroads

The mid‑2024 layoffs at Nation Media Group and Standard Group signal more than corporate cost-cutting—they underscore the existential threat facing Kenya’s traditional media. As audiences migrate to mobile and digital-first platforms, and as advertising budgets follow suit, legacy outlets struggle to sustain old models.

Now operating under tighter budgets and fewer resources, media houses must balance digital innovation with sustaining robust journalism. Meanwhile, journalists and independent creators are forging new pathways—but need structural, financial, and legal support to thrive.

Without such support and a coherent vision for digital transformation, Kenya risks a future where news quality, rural coverage, and institutional oversight erode—undermining democracy, public accountability, and the public’s right to information.

📎 External References & Further Reading

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