State threatens to revoke Standard Group licenses over Sh48m regulatory fees

The government is on the verge of pulling the plug on Standard Group’s broadcasting operations after the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) initiated a process to revoke all the company’s broadcast licenses, citing unsettled regulatory fees.

In a letter dated April 9 and signed by CA Director General David Mugonyi, the authority said it would proceed to publish a notice in the Kenya Gazette revoking all broadcasting licences issued to the media house.

“This letter serves to inform you that the Authority is progressing to publish a notification on the revocation of all the broadcast licences issued to the Standard Group PLC in the Kenya Gazette,” reads the letter.

The CA cited non-remittance of license fees and the Universal Service Fund (USF) levy, further rejecting an existing debt repayment plan the company had entered into in December 2024. The agreement was meant to settle Sh48 million in regulatory fees, which Standard Group attributes to harsh economic conditions.

However, the media house has hit back, terming the decision a politically motivated attempt to muzzle its critical coverage of the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“We entered and signed an agreement with the Communication Authority that we will be paying Sh2.5 million a month towards the completion of this debt,” Standard Group’s Chief Executive Editor, Chaacha Mwita, said.

“And we went ahead to increase this amount from Sh2.5 million to Sh4 million a month. We have been adhering to that payment plan. So, anything outside of that smacks of ill-will and malice, and we have no option but to fight it.”

Standard Group said it made a Sh10 million payment in December 2024, followed by Sh4 million each in January and February 2025, demonstrating a clear effort to honour the agreement.

Exposing government

Mwita linked the revocation threat to the Group’s recent reporting, which has exposed alleged corruption and governance failures within President William Ruto’s administration.

“What we publish and carry is the reality of the day. We are not going to back down, we are not going to report things that are not the reality just to make some people happy,” he said.

“We have audiences, and we have the responsibility as a media house to hold the mirror to society, and that is what we are doing. We stand firm with our audiences, and we tell them that KTN is their destination for news and information. And so is The Standard newspaper.”

Mwita emphasised that Standard Group will not be intimidated into silence.

“Since its inception in 1902, the Standard Group has been widely recognised for its bold and fearless journalism, committed to impactful reporting even in the face of adversity,” read part of the company’s official statement.

In a further twist, Standard Group revealed that while the government is demanding Sh48 million in licence fees, it owes the company Sh1.2 billion in unpaid advertising fees accrued by ministries, state agencies and county governments.

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The media house said it has since filed a case at the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal, seeking an injunction to halt the publication of the Gazette Notice.

“We are actively seeking a date in the tribunal. And we hope that they get it by today (Tuesday). We hope that all institutions of goodwill be included in the tribunal,” Mwita said.

This is not the first run-in between the media house and the government. In March, the Ministry of Irrigation cancelled a media contract awarded to Standard Group, despite the company having been competitively selected to spearhead a campaign for the launch of the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan.

The company has also faced coordinated online attacks, including fake headlines and threats against journalists, alleged to be the work of bloggers hired to discredit the group on social media.

As the tribunal prepares to hear the case, Standard Group insists it will remain defiant in the face of pressure.

“We are not going anywhere. We will not compromise our editorial values and independence. The public deserves the truth — and we will continue to deliver it,” Mwita said.