The newsroom at the Standard media Group is facing a critical shortage of staff as nearly 100 correspondents have gone on strike.
The majority of these print correspondents, representing regions across the country, are protesting the delayed payment of their wages, expressing that management at the Kenya’s oldest media outlet has increasingly overlooked their concerns.
The last payment received by these correspondents was in early September.
This is the first significant action taken by employees at the financially struggling organization to compel management to respond to their grievances.
One correspondent shared with Bigstar News that they have lost track of how many months they have gone without full pay.
“Since 2022, we’ve been receiving only 30 to 50 percent of our salaries, and there have been stretches of two months without any payment. The new CEO came in with big promises, but after 100 days, nothing has changed,” they stated.
Since Marion Gathoga-Mwangi took over as CEO in August, there has been no noticeable improvement in the situation.
“We reached out to management and were promised payment before November 8, but we felt it was necessary to take this stand. We need to communicate in a way that they truly understand. Diplomacy isn’t working,” the correspondent added.
The striking correspondents have urged those still working, especially in TV, to join their cause, emphasizing solidarity in their fight for fair compensation.
