Kenyan publisher suspends two magazine titles

25 Nov 2009

East African Magazines (EAM) announced early last week the suspension of Adam and Twende. Adam is slightly over two years in the market and was targeted at the male readership while Twende was a travel magazine.

According to the Target Group Index (TGI) research by Consumer Insight, magazine readership in Kenya has over the years have been on the downward trend. The last two years has seen a growth in the number of titles ranging from health, sports, travel, lifestyle, management, financial matters etc. The news of the suspended magazine titles therefore sends a worrying message as it comes months after Nation Media Group stopped the publishing of Daily Metro newspaper that was barely one year old in the market.

“There are just too many magazines around and most of them are ego trips for very few people. I wonder exactly what Adam was doing that DRUM and True Love weren't doing,” argues Dr. Tom Odhiambo, a literature lecturer at University of Nairobi and a literary commentator.

The last editions of Adam and Twende will be the December 2009/January 2010 editions.

Carole Kimutai

About Carole Kimutai

Carole Kimutai is a writer and editor based in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently an MA student in New Media at the University of Leicester, UK. Follow her on Twitter at @CaroleKimutai.