Popular news anchor Betty Kyalo has come out to clear the air on why she left MediaMax’ K24. The presenter who anchored the weekend show ‘Weekend with Betty’ made the revelation during an online forum that is being hosted by comedian Jalang’o. The forum is titled ‘Bonga na Jalas’.
“I wasn’t fired. I’ve worked so hard to be my brand. I have built my brand with hard work, passion, commitment, and love. When I feel like either I’m not being appreciated enough najitoa,” Ms. Kyalo said.
Betty left K24 after presenting the weekend news on Saturday, May 30, 2020. “I really appreciate you all. It is now time for me to say goodbye here on K24 TV. Thank you so much for all the support, I appreciate you, God bless you and I love you,” she said.
Betty Kyalo left the station barely two years after she joined the station from KTN in a big money move. It also follows a protest against heavy pay cuts that the media house has instituted. MediaMax, which owns K24, People Daily, Kameme FM and Kameme TV is owned by the Kenyatta Family.
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Over the recent few months, MediaMax has been sailing in troubled waters as revenue shrinks. In April, it announced that it would slash employee salaries by half in a move that saw over 36 employees led by Ms. Kyalo and comedian Jalang’o head to court.
“We have come up with several measures to ensure that we try to sustain and ensure that the business at this stage survives and sustains itself,” Mediamax acting Chief Executive Officer Ken Ngaruiya told employees in a circular dated April 17. “Amongst the proposed measures that will directly apply to employees will be a reduction of between 20 per cent and 50 per cent on Gross Monthly Pay based on job levels effective April 2020.”
The station has entered into an agreement that will see it broadcast news from the Standard Media Group‘s KTN News. It is also set to shut down Kameme TV after the vernacular station failed to break even.
This is expected to render a majority of job positions redundant. “The services of some of its employees will be rendered superfluous thereby necessitating the termination of their employment on account of redundancy. In accordance with the provisions of Section .10 of the Employment Act. No. II of 2007, Mediamax Network Limited hereby gives one (1) month’s notice of the intended redundancies,” said Mr Ngaruiya.
