Standard Group Says It Will Appeal After Tribunal Upholds CA’s Plan To Revoke Licences
News Updated: 29 March 2026 15:15 EAT
Justice Chacha Mwita is the acting Standard Media Group Chief Executive Officer
Standard Media Group has said it will appeal after a tribunal upheld plans by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to revoke several of its broadcast licences, deepening a public dispute over regulatory fees and government arrears.
The Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal on March 27 dismissed Standard Group’s challenge, effectively allowing CA to proceed with cancelling six of its broadcasting licences over unpaid regulatory fees amounting to about Sh48.87 million.
The licences at the centre of the dispute cover major outlets operated by the media house, including Radio Maisha, Spice FM, KTN Burudani, Vybez Radio, Berur FM and KTN News. These stations play a significant role in Kenya’s media landscape and reach audiences nationwide.
According to CA, Standard Group failed to pay the required licence fees and Universal Service Fund levies despite multiple notifications and extensions, prompting regulatory action under the Kenya Information and Communications Act.
Standard Group has acknowledged the debt but says its financial position was weakened by the government’s failure to settle what it claims is more than Sh1.2 billion owed to the company in unpaid advertising fees and other dues.
Standard Group’s acting CEO, Chaacha Mwita, issued a statement saying the group will pursue all available legal avenues, including filing an appeal at the High Court to challenge the tribunal ruling.
Under the Communications Act, filing a High Court appeal generally automatically stays the execution of the tribunal’s decision, meaning CA cannot immediately act on the revocation while the legal process continues.
Standard Group has also warned that any attempt to gazette the licence revocation or force its stations off the air before the appeal is heard would be met with further legal action for contempt.
CA has maintained that it intends to proceed with the revocations if the court does not intervene or if Standard Group fails to remedy the arrears.
The standoff has drawn attention to ongoing financial pressures on Kenyan media houses, which have faced declining advertising revenues and delayed government payments in recent years.
KTN News, one of the affected channels, has already been off air since July 2024 as part of cost‑cutting restructuring by Standard Group, reducing the immediate impact but underscoring the broader business challenges.
Industry analysts say the case highlights tensions between regulatory compliance and the financial sustainability of media organisations in Kenya’s evolving media sector, which continues to grapple with digital disruption and competition.
For now, Standard Group’s stations remain on air while the High Court appeal is pending, giving the company a temporary reprieve as the legal battle unfolds.
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD