Kamene Goro whose tenure as the Morning Kiss radio show host officially came to an end on Friday, January 27, The media personality addressed rumors that she was fired from Radio Africa Group over absenteeism. In an interview with local media, clarified that her contract simply came to an end and there was no need to renew it.
She refuted claims that she had been coming to work drunk, saying “it’s impossible” and that last year she had missed work due to illness.
“Last year, I was sick and had to miss work, but you can’t plan sickness, it just happens. And, let’s be real, I never come to work drunk, that’s impossible.”
Though she has left her radio job, Kamene reflected positively on her time at the station, saying it was her dream job and that she had grown and learned a lot from the experience.
“This was my dream job, but what most people don’t understand is that radio is not just about talking. I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot about myself,” she said.
She also mentioned that the departure of her co-host Jalang’o to pursue a career in politics made her rethink her own career path and consider the possibility of self-employment.
“Jalang’o leaving made me think about self-employment and taking a leap of faith to see what I can do on my own. I’m excited, employment can make you comfortable sometimes.”
Kamene said the early morning wake-up calls for the show were a real struggle, “Doing morning radio can give you fatigue.”
The news comes just days after reports emerged that the top hierarchy of the Radio Africa franchise, which owns Classic105, Kiss100, Radio Jambo, Homeboyz, Gukena, and East FM as well as The Star newspaper and Mpasho website, had attempted to deal with the problem by setting up a disciplinary hearing to investigate the radio host’s behaviour in an effort to end her absenteeism despite reportedly earning over Ksh500,000 monthly.
This comes after some source on condition of anonymity alleged that Kamene had developed a habit of regularly skipping work while at Radio Africa Group station Kiss 100 FM and providing insubstantial excuses for the same. The source also revealed that the radio personality would call in sick on several occasions but go on vacations and share photos as well as videos on social media while on holiday.
She also reportedly contacted colleagues she closely worked with said she would text them an hour before the start of the Morning Kiss Breakfast show running every weekday from 6 am to 10 am, saying she won’t make it to work and request someone to hold her brief
The breakfast show which she co-hosted with comedian Obinna had also seen a decline in ratings over time compared to when she first joined the station. The show had recently seen a decline in ratings over time compared to when she first joined the station which hurt its chances of attracting lucrative companies to advertise their products and brands on the show, despite her taking home a huge salary.
Adding fuel to the fire, her former co-presenter Andrew Kibe revealed on his YouTube channel that Kamene is known for being lazy and frequently skipping work.
Kamene, whose next move is yet to be established, is set to be replaced by Sheila Kwamboka, alias Kwambox, who left Vybez Radio under the Standard Media Group (SMG) to join Radio Africa.
Radio Africa Group Chief Operating Officer, Martin Khafafa described Kwamboka as a media personality with quite a reputation for being the home of the best media talent in the country over the past 20 years.
I’m hoping that Kwambox as an addition will not only give listeners a chance to enjoy bigger, better, more engaging radio but also give advertisers a chance you know to get products articulated and well connected to consumers,” Radio Africa Group Chief Operating Officer, Martin Khafafa stated on Thursday, January 19.
Kamene had been through three co-hosts during her tenure at the station, which she joined in 2019 following a protracted battle with her previous employer, NRG Radio, which had filed a court case preventing her from taking up the Kiss FM job before the lapse of the non-compete period in the contract she had signed.
She, alongside Andrew Kibe, would join the station together, having shot to fame at NRG, before Kibe left in 2020. She continued hosting the Kiss breakfast show until Kibe was replaced by Lang’ata MP Phelix Odiwuor, alias Jalang’o later that same year.
Jalang’o would later step down in 2022 to focus on his political ambitions, leaving her with her immediate former co-host, Oga Obinna.
Kamene has become a household name in Kenya due to her sharp wit, humour, and candid approach to discussing various topics on her show. She is known for her fearless attitude toward tackling sensitive and controversial issues, which has earned her a large following among Kenyan youth.
