Nation Media Group, the mother company of the Monitor Publications Limited has made changes at the Daily Monitor, elevating Managing Editor, Charles Odoobo Bichachi to Executive Editor.
In the changes announced by the NMG Editorial Director, Tom Mushindi, Mr Tabu Butagira, who has been Associate Editor Business and Features is now Managing Editor (Content), while Mr Richard Oundo, who has been Revise Editor, is now Managing Editor in charge of Production.
Long serving Public Affairs/Opinions Editor, Margaret Vuchiri is the new Managing Editor in charge of dailies while Allan Chekwech, who has been the Chief Sub Editor, is now Managing Editor Weekends. Ms Carol Beyanga remains Managing Editor digital.
Mr Butagira.
In the new changes, Japheth Obuku is the new Chief Sub Editor, while Mr Alex Atuhaire remains Investigations Editor.
A source close to the MPL said two senior editors that everybody thought would be elevated to higher ranks but have remained in the positions. He named Patrick Matsiko Wamucori, who remains Weekend editor and Henry Ochieng who remains Political Editor.
EagleOnline has also reliably learnt that from today, the Monitor newsroom is shifting their focus to digital as the print becomes secondary.
“So all the positions are aligned to enable us smoothly transition to digital first. We have to protect the newspaper by having enterprise journalism,” Mr Mushindi wrote to the Namuwongo newsroom.
The changes come at a time when former Deputy News Editor in charge of up-country news, Henry Mukasa threw in the towel and joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Bichachi becomes the fourth Executive Editor of the Daily Monitor since the position was created. The first EE was Dr Peter Mwesige, who is now the Executive Director of the African Centre for Media Excellence, who was succeeded by Mr. David Ssepuuya who served for a short stint after he was reportedly internally fought and eventually pushed out.
Ssepuuya was succeeded by two whites, Mr Simon Freeman and Malcolm Gibson.
Meanwhile, the changes at MPL come at a time when government is considering digital media/publications as one of the major news dissemination platforms.
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