The hierarchy at Inooro FM has undergone a radical shift following the return of Jeff Kuria from a disciplinary hiatus. After serving as the Head of Radio for nearly a year, Kuria was officially stripped of his managerial powers and removed from his flagship morning slot on February 9, 2026.
This administrative action follows a period of intense scrutiny regarding his editorial direction, which many insiders felt was increasingly out of step with the station’s traditional audience.
The core of the crisis stems from an alleged misalignment between the station’s reporting and the prevailing political mood in the Mt. Kenya region. While a vast majority of the “Murima” audience has aligned with the “WanTam” movement, Kuria was accused of using his platform to aggressively promote the government’s “Tutam” agenda.
This perceived bias led to a massive disconnect with listeners, who felt the morning show had become a mouthpiece for the state rather than a voice for the community.
The editorial shift had immediate and devastating financial consequences for the Royal Media Services-owned station. Industry data from late January indicated that major corporate advertisers began shunning Kuria’s morning show to avoid being associated with the escalating political friction.
As listeners migrated in droves to Kameme FM, veteran host Gatonye Wambugua seized the opportunity to claim the top spot in the Kikuyu radio ratings, leaving Inooro FM in a distant second place for the first time in years.
Adding fuel to the fire are serious allegations involving high-level political figures and secret financial inducements. Internal investigations reportedly looked into claims that Kuria received tens of millions of shillings from government intermediaries, specifically linked to Kimani Ichung’wah, to steer the station’s narrative.
While these claims remain part of an ongoing internal audit, the suspicion alone was enough to make his continued leadership at the station untenable for the board of directors.
As of February 12, 2026, Jeff Kuria has begun his new assignment hosting the “Cuacua” program, which airs at 4:00 PM in the evening. This move to the “late drive” slot is a clear demotion from the influential 6:00 AM breakfast band he commanded for years.
While his supporters view his reinstatement as a sign of his enduring talent, the “WanTam” faction sees it as a necessary containment measure to prevent further damage to the station’s brand ahead of the 2027 polls.