Nazizi Becomes Second Big Name To Quit Vybez Radio

Renowned musician and radio presenter Nazizi Hirji announced her departure from Standard Media Group (SMG)-owned radio station, Vybez Radio, on Tuesday, January 31 after a stint of three years.

Taking to her Instagram account, Nazizi announced that her Tuesday show, Cease and Sekkle would be her last at the Mombasa Road-based media house.

The show runs from 7 pm to 10 pm every day. Nazizi thanked her fans and colleagues for giving her massive support as she soothed them with reggae tunes.

"Sadly my journey at Vybez Radio has come to an end. Tune in tonight for the very last show with the HEADMASTER.

Nazizi Hirji at Westgate Shopping Mall on January 27, 2023. /INSTAGRAM.NAZIZI HIRJI

"The last 3 years have been such a blessing to me, I'm thankful we had the chance to show the world that a reggae show can be more than just silly jokes," she wrote.

Turning to her co-host, Sheriff Juma, popularly known as Muzikal Sheriff, Nazizi added that she will miss his presence at the show, even though she did not reveal her next destination.

"To the vybez nation thanks for Reasoning with us, thanks for tuning in and supporting CEASE N SEKKLE from day 1. I will truly miss you all.

"Positive vibes will keep going, and the journey Continues. To my bredrin Muzikal Sheriff, thanks for all the memories you're the best Co-host I'll miss your jokes. Until we link again family! MAN A LION NO CYAT!" she signed off.

Nazizi was widely known across the country for her partnership with Wyre the Love Child under the hip-hop and reggae group Necessary Noize, which changed the way Kenyans listened to local music. They reunited on April 2022 after more than 10 years of pursuing solo projects.

“Wyre and I have always been in discussion about doing something together as Necessary Noize but because of individual commitments we just kept on postponing it until now.

"The universe just aligned for us. We never particularly intended for it to be this year, but if you ask me, this is the perfect time,” Nazizi stated at the time.

She is the second big name to leave the station after Sheila Kwamboka (Kwambox) who was poached by Radio Africa Group and is set to replace Kamene Goro at Kiss FM. 

Meanwhile, woes at SMG continue to worsen as reports indicated that the cash crunch crisis at the station forced journalists to sleep at the offices owing to a three-month delay in salary remittances. 

In addition, arrangements were made to have a good number of sub-editors and editorial production editors work from home to cut transportation costs to and from both the Mombasa Road-based media house and its offices in the Nairobi CBD.

The SMG, listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and arguably Kenya’s second-largest media house, is also paying the price of over-expansion with many projects introduced over the past five or so years (mostly radio and TV stations) yet to break even.

Much of the blame was directed at CEO Orlando Lyomu for the mass firings initiated to cut costs, a move that was understood to have slowed down after the company discovered that it did not have the requisite finances to pay laid-off staff, giving them temporary relief.

Among the big names to have left SMG include Mercy Korir, news anchor Sharon Momanyi, seasoned Foreign Affairs editor, Lilian Odera, seasoned journalist Frank Otieno and editor Ted Malanda.

Inside the Standard Media Group (SMG) converged newsroom. /STANDARD DIGITAL