In an unprecedented move, the government is threatening to shut down the broadcasting division of the country’s oldest media house, an action widely seen as a blatant attempt to silence the Standard Group for its critical stance against the William Ruto administration.
The Standard Group has disclosed that the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Director General, David Mugonyi, issued a letter cancelling its broadcast licences, citing non-remittance of licence fees and the Universal Service Fund (USF) levy.
This decision comes despite an existing debt repayment plan of Ksh 48 million in regulatory fees. The Standard Group attributed the debt to the financial difficulties it has been grappling with but clarified that the amount had been significantly reduced since a payment plan was agreed upon and signed in December 2024.
Ironically, according to the media house, the government itself owes the Standard Group Ksh 1.2 billion in unpaid advertising revenue accumulated by ministries, state agencies, and county governments. Chief Executive Editor Chaacha Mwita has condemned the CA’s action as a deliberate attempt by the State to muzzle the press, following recent exposés on the shortcomings of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Mugonyi stated that the Authority had issued six-month revocation notices in September 2024, which expired on 24 March 2025. He claimed that the Standard Group was expected to either clear the full debt or submit a payment plan before the deadline. He further indicated that the Authority is proceeding to issue a Gazette Notice revoking all of the company’s broadcast licences.
“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,” stated Mugonyi. However, the Standard Group insists that it had adhered to the agreed repayment schedule, having deposited Ksh 10 million in December 2024, Ksh 4 million in January 2025, and another Ksh 4 million in February.
“We entered and signed an agreement with the Communications Authority to pay Ksh 2.5 million monthly toward settling this debt,” Mwita said. “We even increased that amount to Ksh 4 million per month. We have been honouring the plan. Anything beyond that smacks of ill will and malice, and we have no option but to fight it.”
The media house has recently published a series of reports highlighting governance failures in the Kenya Kwanza administration, coverage that has reportedly unsettled high-ranking officials. Mwita affirmed that the company would not be cowed or swayed from its editorial principles.
“What we publish reflects the reality of the day. We are not going to sugarcoat or misreport the truth just to appease certain individuals,” he stated.
“We have a duty to our audiences. As a media house, we are society’s mirror. That is what we do, and we stand firm with our audiences. KTN is their destination for credible news and information, so is The Standard newspaper.”
The media house was, by Tuesday, hoping to obtain an injunction from the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal to forestall the revocation process. “We are actively seeking a date at the tribunal and hope it is set no later than today. We trust all institutions of goodwill will be represented,” said Mwita.
The Standard Group also revealed that only last month, Broadcasting Principal Secretary Edward Kisiang’ani cancelled a contract awarded to the company by the Ministry of Irrigation, despite it having been competitively procured to spearhead the launch of the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan.
The Standard Group has faced financial challenges in recent years, including delayed staff salaries, unpaid severance dues,
