Fresh details reaching us indicate that celebrated news anchor and reporter Josephine Namakumbi has exited Next Media following an internal restructuring exercise at the Naguru-based media house.
Namakumbi, who joined Next Media in 2019, is so far the biggest name in the editorial department to be affected by the ongoing changes. She has been a familiar face on Amasegenjje, the Luganda news bulletin, anchoring every Friday and on selected weekends on Next Media ‘s Television station NBS TV.
Sources within the newsroom reveal that her exit did not come as a surprise to insiders. Along the way, Namakumbi reportedly fell out with some editors, a situation that saw her gradually sidelined from key newsroom duties.
Over the weekend, she is said to have bid farewell to close colleagues, with information indicating she is now set to focus fully on her toy business.
The station has also parted ways with Prossy Kisitu, a veteran journalist who joined Next Media in 2016 as Senior Luganda News Producer. Kisitu is a respected media figure who rose to prominence at WBS TV in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a news anchor before becoming Head of the Luganda News Desk. Her responsibilities have temporarily been taken over by Tonny Muwangala.
Insiders at the station say more exits are imminent, but management has opted for a piecemeal approach to avoid panic among staff, viewers, and advertisers.
“They don’t want to sack 20 people at once because it would cause alarm,” revealed a worried staff member.
The cautious approach follows the 2022 layoffs, when more than 30 employees were dismissed at once, triggering backlash both online and within media circles.
According to sources, another round of layoffs is expected after the Top Management Team returns from a residential retreat, which began on February 9 and ends on February 13.
Namakumbi and Kisitu now join Edwin Danze, the former Head of Marketing, and Melvin Kiyimba from Afromobile, who both exited the company last week.
While Next Media has publicly framed the departures as “voluntary exits” both on social media and internally sources insist the reality is far different.Targeted employees are reportedly given an ultimatum: resign or be fired. Those who choose to resign are later treated to farewell parties, as seen in the cases of Danze and Kiyimba.
Behind the scenes, however, anxiety continues to grow as staff wait to see who will be next.