Radio Africa is reported to be in serious talks to buy Ghafla. Already, the Group CEO Patrick Quarcoo has offered Ksh 5 million for 90% stake in Ghafla. This offer was like an insult to the Ghafla founder and his 88mph investors according to people close to Ghafla.
Ghafla founders and investors demanded nothing less than Ksh 100 million. This came immediately after RAL bought 60% stake in digital media agency TRINC Media for a paltry Ksh 3 million.
According to documents in our possession including quartely reports, PQ bought 20% for himself and had RAL pump in money to buy 40% of TRINC Media. Sebastian Wafula maintains the other 40%, some in trust for an unnamed investor.
Radio Africa is very desperate to make an entry dominate the web and digital TV as they plan to still be the group which is youth friendly. They have ditched plans to start their own Ghafla clone www.shambamba.com but this plan might not be off the table as the group is also contemplating poaching all Ghafla bloggers and leaving Samuel Majani to start from scratch. Many bloggers at Ghafla are already getting more favours and leads from Radio Africa that they are really suspicious that the PQ employees are up to something.
Caroline Mutoko has tried to show Ghafla owners and writers favours through show invitation and lunch meetings. Others like Shaffie and Maina Kageni are also giving Ghafla all kinds of favours.
RAL bought into TRINC media because they wanted to get the earnings which various entities were channeling through Caroline Mutoko and Maina Kageni’s social media accounts. Caroline Mutoko was once reported to have earned up to Ksh 280,000 to promote the L’Oreal products on Facebook while Maina Kageni earned much more from other corporates. PQ thought that this was like letting his basket leak and so because Maina Kageni’s social media business was getting advice and support from TRINC media, they needed to own TRINC media.
