Kipchumba Some, one of the few strongest investigative reporters at the Standard newspaper, has rejoined Nation Media Group.
Mr Some appears to have curved in to frustration after the newspaper slowed down on hard-hitting investigative writing. The editors on the weekend edition have taken a cautious approach to investigative stories, which have in the past landed the company in court or cost it advertisements either due to shoddy ground work or judgment slip-ups.
According to someone close to Some, the drift into oblivion at Standard newspaper began with the stories he wrote about former Devolution Cabinet Secretary, Anne Waiguru, linking her to the NYS scandal. “The editors did not want any negative story about Ms Waiguru,” said Some’s friend, who still works at the Standard. “So, when NYS saga came up, we could not write anything substantive.”
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One of the weekend editors, Mwaniki Munuhe, was later mentioned as Ms Waiguru’s media point man but Standard’s investigations later absolved him of the allegations.
Standard Group CEO Sam Shollei has, too, has become critical of investigative stories, especially those touching on the Jubilee government. And with Joseph Odindo, a ruthless gatekeeper, at the editorial helm, reporters are finding it hard to pass through investigative articles without solid backing and evidence.
Falling production
In effect, some reporters say, there is totally no support from the company for journalists to write investigative stories. This lack of support for the TV section is one of the reasons investigative reporter, John Allan-Namu, left KTN late last year.
Based on this constricting environment, a keen reader of the weekend Standard would see Some’s production of stories had drastically dropped and that certainly prompted him to look for alternative avenues.
Mr Some reported to Nation Media on 3rd May as a Senior Investigative writer for the Sunday Nation, the group’s selling newspaper.
Media watchers say Some is technically the replacement of Andrew Teyie, who was sacked as investigations editor recently alongside his colleague Mugumo Munene, who was news editor.
But because Teyie has taken NMG to court over the declaration of the position of Investigative Editor redundant, NMG’s human resources office did not want it to appear as if the position is still there. “Technically, Some is the investigative editor,” said a Nation editor.
