Shockwaves in Kenyan Media as K24 Reportedly Lays Off 90% of Its News Staff

In a significant restructuring move, Mediamax Network Limited has announced its intention to declare employees redundant, its sixth in four years.

The media giant, which owns a wide range of platforms including K24 TV, People Daily, and radio stations like Milele FM and Kameme FM, has initiated a redundancy exercise to streamline its operations and respond to a challenging economic climate.

The decision was communicated to staff through a memo dated August 11, 2025, which gave notice of the company's intention to declare employees redundant.

A Widening Net of Redundancy

The job cuts are set to affect a wide range of departments across the company's various media outlets.

Sources within the network indicate that the redundancy exercise will impact top English and Swahili anchors and producers, as well as the entire sports desk.

Our source also told us that K24 has fired 90%of its newsroom staff

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This widespread action highlights the company’s push to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

The redundancies, which were scheduled to be completed between July 15 and August 15, 2025, follow a trend of job losses within the Kenyan media industry.

“The restructuring has been driven by challenges in the macro business environment, rapid digital advancement, innovation, a significant reduction in business volumes, a decrease in client base, and a comprehensive review of internal operational processes in the last two years,” reads July’s notice in part.

The Financial and Regulatory Squeeze

Mediamax, like other media houses in Kenya, has been grappling with financial pressures from several fronts.

The CEO specifically mentioned a significant reduction in business volumes, as well as delays in settling pending bills by both national and county governments. The company's income streams have also been eroded by government decisions to single-source a single media entity for advertising and the introduction of unfavourable conditions on betting and gambling advertisements.

The layoffs mirror similar actions taken by other major media houses in the country, including Nation Media Group and Standard Group, which have also been forced to trim their payrolls to adapt to a shifting media landscape.