Vendors our reporters talked to were told by the tabloid’s management that the printing machine broke down. However, sources at the Namanve based publication told us that the paper didn’t come out as a result of a strike by the staff working in the printery due to unpaid wages.
Pepper Publications, the company that publishes Red Pepper is facing volatile times and already several staff members have resigned over non-payment of salaries for several months.
The media company also recently halted the publication of some of their titles like Hello, Akapapula and Emulalu newspapers over poor sales.
Red Peppers current financial troubles stem from a Shs7bn Stanbic Bank loan that they are having trouble servicing.
“Last year the directors bought monster vehicles of Shs450m each but we were grassing and playing hide and seek with our landlords because we hadn’t been paid for three months. That’s when I decided to throw in the towel,” says a former staff member who requested anonymity.
Sources say over 30 staff have resigned from Red Pepper in the last couple of months.