Makali reshuffles the Star editorial team

Radio Africa/The Star Head of Content David Makali has effected far-reaching changes at the newspaper, which he says are aimed at enhancing the generation, variety and depth of content.

In the changes, Francis Openda will assume full responsibility for business/biashara desk, assisted by Mercy Gakii, and publication of the weekend/Saturday paper.

Joseph Olweny, as production and quality editor will be in charge of closing pages, quality control (news), subbing and assignment of pages in liaison with the news editor, assisted by Josephine Mayuya.

Makali has appointed Tom Jalio as the features editor with responsibilities for overseeing soft, magazine-style, human interest content in all products.

He has also constituted a special reports/projects team consisting of  Agatha Ngotho, Brian Wasuna and Kamore Maina, which he says will brainstorm out-of-diary stories to run in daily and weekend editions.

Benjamin Imende and Samuel Kisika have been moved to the news desk to carry out general / political assignments from the daily diary/docket. They will be replaced on the parliament/ political beat by Rajab Ramadhan.

John Muchangi will serve both on the special projects team and as a part time sub to plug the deficit pending re-organisation or recruitment of more sub editors.

This are the first changes Makali is instituting at Lion’s Place plucked out of retirement six months ago to help turnaround the Star’s fortunes after the experiment to make it a political paper backfired. He asked the public to “watch this space.”

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“I am delighted to be back in the newsroom. I had missed the buzz and energy of day-to-day journalism. I am determined to make an impact at The Star and Radio Africa. Watch this space,” he said after being welcomed at Lion’s Place by by William Pike, the Convergence Director at The Star and Radio Africa.

In January, he brought in Wasuna, former Reuters writer Kevin Mwanza and lifestyle writer and data scientist Isabella Mukumu from Business Daily to boost the newspaper’s talent book.