Economist David Ndii, the columnist who has been critical of how the Jubilee regime is handling the economy and questioned Eurobond was this week ‘advised’ by Nation Media Group to ‘significantly review’ his articles or take a walk.
The memo to Ndii, only days after the media house fired its special projects editor Dennis Galava for writing a critical editorial on President Uhuru’s handling of the country since getting to power, was ‘long overdue’ according to a source privy to the goings on in the company.
“There are those who feel, notwithstanding his analytical pieces, he is by design a Raila man and has to suffer the fate of all Raila men in the newsroom, many who have been shown the door,” stated a fellow editor at the Nation who requested anonymity.
Ndii is the latest on the chopping board as Tom Mshindi, the paper’s new chief editor, aligns the paper with the interests of the money men. Interestingly, Ndii was informed to ‘align his articles with the bigger thinking of the company’.
The events at the nation have put a spotlight on the new head, Tom Mshindi.
“Some journalists see him more as a money-man than a news-man because every time he has had to arbitrate between editorial and commercial, he has sided with the money-men”, one critic stated.
A former colleague of the new slaughter boy at Nation told Kenya Today that Mshindi is a very ruthless man ‘when his interests are shaken’.
” Kenyans need to know that Mshindi has always been a Kanu man. He was very close to YK92 guys. In the run up to 2002 elections where Uhuru was Kanu candidate, Mshindi, a Kisii, was firmly on Uhuru and Moi side. He was then the head of Daily Nation. He was then toying with running for MP on Kanu ticker to replace Kipruto arap Kirwa who was a thorn in Moi flesh. He did not get the ticket so he remained head of Daily Nation doing Kanu work. Crunch time came on the day Kanu formally picked Uhuru as the candidate in Kasarani while the Opposition united behind kibaki in Uhuru park. The biggest stand off ensued at Nation Centre. Mshindi wanted the page one story to be Uhuru handed Kanu ticket. The rest of the newsroom thought Opposition uniting behind kibaki was bigger news because they had failed since 1992. Mshindi could only listen to Moi, Nyachae and Uhuru. A compromise was reached resulting in a headline saying UHURU NOMITATED, OPPOSITION UNITES. To this day, those who were in the newsroom that afternoon believe the lead story of the day ought to have been opposition unity. This is the Mshindi who has suspended Galava for writing harsh editorial against Uhuru. Let Mshindi be known for the kanu mole he is. Mshindi has very many business deals with government through old Kanu networks”, he stated.Â
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