Former presidential hopeful Reuben Kigame has criticised media houses for reportedly failing to pay their employees adequately or at all, despite generating substantial earnings.
Taking to X on Saturday night, the gospel musician and journalist urged Kenyans to pray for the journalists who suffered such injustices, as such financial woes could cause mental illnesses.
"As we bring this week to a close and spend some time in worship places, let us think of and pray for journalists, editors and reporters who are going through economic hell due to unpaid salaries and allowances, leading to mental health challenges to the point of being suicidal," he wrote.
"It is time for media owners to seriously think about those who work for them and bring in a lot of advertising and programme funds."
Kigame openly discussed a similar personal experience he had with the late veteran journalist Catherine Kasavuli.
Kigame narrated that at the time of her death, Kasavuli was broke and unable to pay rent for the servant's quarter apartment she was living in, despite being one of the most popular news anchors of all time.
In fact, Kigame relayed that by the time Kasavuli passed away in December 2022, he was among the few people who were helping her out at the end of her life.
"I want to give you an example. How many of you remember the lovely voice and face of Catherine Kasavuli? She revolutionised Kenya’s broadcast space," he stated.
"But how many of you know that Catherine died unable to even pay rent in an SQ where she lived, having made many media houses big and famous? I can speak this authoritatively because I was one of those helping to make ends meet by sharing the little I had towards the end of her life."
In November 2022, news broke that Kasavuli was hospitalised at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Despite a popularised blood drive, she would later succumb on December 29, just two days before 2023. She was 60 at the time of her death.
In the aftermath of her death, President William contributed Ksh1 million in support of her funeral programme and also offset the entire outstanding bill in the hospital.
