Following his dismissal by Homeboyz Radio over the weekend, Shaffie Weru had decided to fight back.
A veteran in the radio business, Shaffie was let go by Homeboyz and its mother company Radio Africa, alongside DJ Joe Mfalme (Joseph Munoru) and his co-host Neville Musya, over the weekend.
This came following outrage over statements the 3 had made on their show concerning gender-based violence. They were discussing a court case in which a man was accused of pushing a woman he had met on Facebook out of a 12th floor window on their first date.
Some people understood that they were blaming the victim for the incident.
“We were having a conversation around Eunice, the 20-year-old lady who last year, found a date on Facebook, went on a first date and after that… became immobile, she’s still limping because apparently this guy she found on Facebook invited her to a building, they were having a date on the 12th floor”.
“And then guess what happened? The guy tried to make moves… She said ‘yo I’m not doing this, I’m not about this’ and then the guy pushed her over the 12th floor and now she’s a cripple.
“And I’m calling on all the ladies… you guys need to play hard to get.”
“Do you think Kenyan chiles [women] are too available, are they too loose, too willing, too desperate and that’s why they get themselves caught up in such situations?” the discussion went.
Shaffie would later apologize, but then Radio Africa quickly suspended them.
Following pressure from the Media Council of Kenya, the Communication Authority and major advertiser of the show EABL, Radio Africa soon made that suspension a permanent termination.
Now, Shaffie has engaged lawyers in a bid to get paid what remains of his contract, as well as other benefits.
In the letter to the General Manager Radio Africa, Shaffie argues that he should receive his entire 1 month salary of Sh682,500, as well as 12 months salary for unfair termination, which would amount to a further Sh8,190,000.
He also demands a gratuity of one month salary for every 18 years he has been of service to the company. This amounts to Sh12,285,000.
In total Shaffie Weru is demanding a payment of more than Sh21 million from Radio Africa.
On top of the hosting job, he was also the Program’s Controller at Homeboyz Radio.
This is the letter his lawyers have sent his former employer.
