Crisis Looms at KBC as 300 Employees Set to go on Strike

The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is staring at a crisis after the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) announced that 300 of its members will be downing their tools over unpaid dues running into millions of shillings.

A KUJ official who spoke to Business Today in confidence stated that the 300 unionised journalists contract employees commonly referred to as artists have been running on empty for three months.

This spells a bad scenario for the cash strapped state broadcaster which heavily relies on contract employees to run its operations. 

The mooted December 7 strike would bring operations at the media house to a halt at a time the country’s first-ever tv broadcaster is “streamlining its operations” after years of being stuck in a rut.

According to the KUJ official, KBC’s board is in negotiations with the union to better the pay and working conditions for this class of journalists.

Most of the journalists earn between Ksh20,000 and Ksh50,000 and some of them have remained artists for  ten years even as the company struggles to rake in revenue.

Read: KBC Says it’s coming Back “Bigger and Better”

This will be new managing director Naim Bilal’s first major test following his appointment in March this year.

The former Nation Media Group (NMG) editor’s plate is already full as he attempts to pull out the corporation declared technically insolvent in 2016 from the doldrums.

 KBC has been reeling from a huge loan obtained from Japan several years ago, a situation worsened by financial mismanagement and lack of government support.

See also: KBC Top Brass on the Spot Over Procurement of Staff Medical Scheme

Pro-government editorial policies and interference over the years as well as competition from private players have also made it difficult for the broadcaster keep up with trends in the broadcasting industry.