Former Standard Group journalist Kizito Namulanda, who worked at the media company for 15 years, has recounted how he was dismissed while undergoing treatment for cancer.
His troubles began in February 2022, when a doctor noticed his persistent hoarseness and urged him to see a throat specialist. When he did, he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Namulanda described the diagnosis as devastating, and with a young son at home, he found it hard to imagine what the future would bring. Conducting online searches only worsened the fear for him as they revealed heartbreaking statistics, particularly for late-stage throat cancers.
According to him, further tests confirmed the extent of the illness, prompting him to seek treatment in India where doctors prescribed a combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.
He revealed that the constant treatments and medications drained him, stating that his weight dropped drastically from 74kg to 40kg as radiotherapy made swallowing food difficult and he lost his appetite.
Upon returning to Kenya, he decided to go into isolation due to his weakened immunity, and with the Coronavirus disease cases rising, doctors warned that even a mild infection could be dangerous.
"Before I travelled back, the government had issued Covid-19 spike alerts, so we had to be careful. The doctors had warned that my immune system was still very weak and could not fight infections," Namulanda said.
After several months of isolation, he decided to travel back to India for his routine treatment. After hours of surgery, surgeons successfully removed part of the voice box to treat the cancer.
"Before anaesthesia, I offered silent prayers and surrendered everything to God. When I woke up, it felt like a movie scene: I was in the ICU, strapped and immobile, with beeps all around," he narrated.
"My wife, who had accompanied me, stood nearby, overwhelmed. Nurses checked me, and the doctors confirmed I had woken up. Though exhausted, I was still very eager to know how the operation went," he added.
But just as recovery began, he suffered yet another huge blow, on the day he was attending his three-month post-surgery review, a colleague informed him of a dismissal notice at Standard Group.
Upon returning to Kenya from India, Namulanda tried to challenge the decision, hoping that the company would consider retaining him because of his medical condition.
"A colleague informed me he’d received a termination notice and was reaching out to thank me for giving him a chance to work at KTN. I was in shock, as I wasn’t aware of any retrenchment plans," Namulanda stated.
He noted that despite making his plea, he claimed that the company insisted on his termination with severance payments offered in ten monthly instalments.
Namulanda claims he was told to sign the letter or risk losing his payment, and with no choice, he signed. Fourteen months later, he says he is still pleading for the full settlement of his severance package.
"I have written several emails to explain how badly I need this money to get me out of my current financial strain that is threatening to take me back, but I still haven’t gotten any breakthrough. I remain hopeful as I pray about the matter," he explained.
