James Mbugua is a business writer and alternate editor on the Business desk of Radio Africa Group, where he reports for the Star Newspaper and provides the group’s other news outlets with general business news. He also compiles and edits The Star’s technology section Star Tech. He has been with the paper for the last four years.
He previously worked as an editor and writer with seasoned journalist Magayu Magayu’s publications, compiling and editing magazines for the Directorate of Personnel Management, the National Security ministry and the National Anti-Corruption Steering Committee. James has a rich background in business reporting and has also worked for Insight Media as a business writer/sub-editor for their monthly business publication, Business Insight.
“Business Journalism matters to me because as the FT slogan aptly says, ‘We live in Financial Times’,” he says. “Currently, perhaps no issue has more weight than our economy and the various sectors that affect it and the decisions that government makes which impact on these sectors and the economy as a whole”.
James feels that business journalism in Kenya has come a long way and improved tremendously with the business press having found itself an identity. He does, however, feel that business journalism has not shown the promise or growth one would expect, nor obtained the regard in the newsrooms that it deserves. As a result, many business journalists are moving out of journalism and into the corporate world on larger salaries.
“There is still a whole lot that we have not even made a dent in, for example proper surveillance of the banking sector and what goes on in it; the business story of the Mombasa Port and its associated maritime and shipping business; Treasury; and regional integration and tax evasion,” he says.
He also feels that business journalism is yet to start analysing companies accurately which he partly blames on the lack of credible analysts who are willing to give their opinion of performance of different sectors.
His most memorable story since he started writing was a story he did on a plot by big banks to kill M-PESA, which generated huge debate across the board.
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