Veteran radio presenter Caroline Mutoko has parted ways with Radio Africa Group by mutual agreement with the management, ahead of an anticipated mass layoff in September. This move comes as Kenya's media industry continues to grapple with the impact of declining advertising revenues.

Caroline Mutoko had been serving as the Group Marketing Manager and Kiss 100 program controller. According to a source, her departure is part of Radio Africa's strategic plan to reduce its payroll. In addition to Mutoko, the Finance Director of Radio Africa Group, Robert Kibutiri, is also set to leave at the end of July, highlighting a wider cost-cutting effort that will not spare top management.

Insiders revealed that the struggling media house is preparing to lay off an undisclosed number of employees, primarily from the editorial department, including staff from the Star newspaper, despite having recently let go of around 40 employees.

"The departure of those two individuals has already taken place, but a few months ago, around 40 employees were let go due to redundancy," the source disclosed.

The impending mass layoff scheduled for September will undoubtedly impact the newsroom's talent pool, reflecting the challenges faced by Kenyan media houses as audience numbers and advertising revenues continue to decline — the lifeblood of the industry.

Efforts to obtain a response from Caroline Mutoko and Patrick Quarcoo, the CEO of Radio Africa Group, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls or texts seeking comment on the matter.

In related news, Nation Media Group, the largest media outlet in the region, recently laid off journalists as it grapples with the transformation into a digital publisher. This move primarily affected revision editors, reporters, online video producers, and magazine editors who were deemed redundant.

Standard Media Group, which has faced salary payment challenges since last year, also downsized its workforce by releasing top talent. Prominent journalists affected by the layoffs included Hassan Mwana wa Ali, Ted Malanda, Jacob Ayoo, and Mercy Korir, among others.

Caroline Mutoko began her radio career at Capital FM, where she spent four years before joining Kiss FM, where she dominated the airwaves for 14 years. She has been associated with the outlet since 1989, leaving an indelible mark on Kenya's radio industry.