KIGALI - The Media High Council (MHC), a body that regulates the media industry in the country, on Friday, took a swipe at the management of local radio station, City Radio over failure to pay its former employee.

The MHC has directed the City Radio boss, Kevin Katuramu, to pay Esperance Niyonkuru, the station’s former marketing manager immediately.

Early this week, employees confiscated the radio’s property while Katuramu watched helplessly.

The confiscated property includes; 4 computers, office tables, a decoder, a camera, adapter, internet service. These were apparently to be auctioned to raise money for Niyonkuru.

Niyonkuru had petitioned the court last year over his unpaid salaries. On October 20 last year, Katuramu was ordered to pay him within a period of 15 days, to which he did not comply.

"Nyarugenge Court of Higher Instance ordered Katuramu to pay Niyonkuru Rwf 872,727 plus all the contributions,” reads part of the court directive signed, by Martin Karangwa a court clerk.

According to Patrice Mulama, the Executive Secretary of MHC, cases involving none payment of employees are related to corruption tendencies and lack of professionalism in the field of journalism.

"We need to sensitize more practitioners about their rights,” Mulama said over the phone to The New Times, yesterday.

He advised media organisations still struggling to establish themselves to work together and improve the level of journalism in the country. 

"That is why we set up the media support fund where people can access loans which can be refunded after a long period of time at low interest rates,” Mulama said. 

Efforts to talk to Katuramu were futile as he could not pick his cell phone by press time.

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