Next Media Services, a multimedia company in Uganda has laid off over 30 employees as part of restructuring.
Sources at Next Media told this website that the most affected is the editorial department, which has seen notable figures such as Edris Kiggundu, Noah Kyeyune, Elijah Turyagumanawe, John Kibalizi and Fatia Nassali shown the exit.
Also affected are Aminah Nabukenya, Jordan Mubangizi, Esther Namutamba, sports analyst Micheal Kigozi and Karitas Karisimbi.
According to some of the termination letters seen by this website, Next Media Group CEO Kin Kariisa said the company is responding to difficulties in the economy rendering them unable to pay salaries.
This comes after Kariisa in a staff address said the company would be taking a new direction.
“We simply cannot continue to approach our work the same as we currently do, especially with our winning DNA,” Kariisa was quoted as telling staff recently.
“There is need to prepare to execute a strategy that will keep our brands attractive and, very importantly, relevant in our very competitive environment,” Kariisa said.
Next Media owns NBS TV, Next Radio, Sanyuka TV, Salaam TV and Nile Post, among others, and employs up to 200 workers across its platforms.
Kariisa in October unveiled a multi-purpose Media complex estimated to have cost more than USD 1.5 Million to house the conglomerate.
Over the last two years, Nation Media Group (NMG), which owns Daily Monitor, NTV, KFM and Dembe FM in Kampala as well as other media houses across the East African region, has reduced its workforce as the media business shifts to the digital space to survive effects of COVID-19.
Media houses have felt a squeeze from a slow economy and the rising cost of business pushed up by the increasing cost of fuel and the ever strong dollar. Nation Media Group in August 18 published its financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2022, which saw net profit for the period slide to Ksh247.8 million from Ksh285.2 million last year.
