Standard Group Response Statement on CA Notice to Revoke License

The Standard Group PLC acknowledges the ruling delivered today, March 27, 2026, by the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal, which dismissed our appeal against the Communications Authority of Kenya’s (CA) intended revocation of six broadcasting licences assigned to us. We also take note of the Authority’s press release dated March 27, 2026, celebrating this ruling and announcing its intention to proceed with revocation.

While we respect the judicial process - we have not received the complete ruling yet to make any substantive statement on it as all we have to go by at this point is CA’s statement - we must categorically state that the matter is far from concluded. The Group will exercise its legal right to challenge this ruling before the superior courts. In the meantime, we call upon the Authority to abide by the law, which provides for the preservation of the status quo pending further appeal and to refrain from any precipitate action that would violate our constitutional rights and the public’s right to information. Section 102 G (i) of the Kenya Information and Communications Act accords an aggrieved party the right to appeal against a decision by the tribunal. Upon filing the appeal, subsection (2), which is couched in mandatory terms states:-

“No decision or order of the Tribunal shall be enforced until the time for lodging an appeal has expired or, where the appeal has been commenced until the appeal has been determined.”

Substantively, we feel the Tribunal failed to ask and answer one critical question: How does debt lead to the cancellation of licenses rather than, for instance, recovery measures?

The Authority’s press release paints a picture of a wilful defaulter that has ignored its obligations. That is a distortion of the truth.

Yes, the Group has outstanding regulatory fees. But these arrears were never settled not because of bad faith, but because the same Government that now seeks to shut us down has itself failed to honour its obligations to The Standard Group PLC.

To date, the Government of Kenya, through various ministries, state corporations, and county governments, owes The Standard Group in excess of KShs. 1.2 billion for advertising and media services rendered over several years. These are services that we provided in good faith, often at the request of State agencies, only to be met with persistent non-payment.

If the Government paid what it owes us, we would have settled our regulatory obligations long ago. It is the height of irony, it is an abuse of process for the same State, through one of its agencies, to brand us as a defaulter while its other arms remain in arrears of over a billion shillings.

We make no secret of the fact that no payments have been made to the CA toward the outstanding fees. The Authority has repeatedly asserted that we entered into a payment plan. We did not. We explored options and expressed willingness to regularise our payments but the financial devastation caused by the Government’s refusal to pay its own bills made it impossible to prioritise regulatory fees over keeping our journalists employed and our stations on air.

The Government cannot hold a knife to our throat with one hand while extending an empty promise of payment with the other. The remedy is simple: Pay what you owe The Standard Group, and we will pay what we owe the CA.

We have instructed our legal team to lodge an appeal against the Tribunal’s decision. Under the Kenya Information and Communications Act (KICA) and the Rules of the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal, the filing of an appeal to the High Court operates as an automatic stay of execution of the Tribunal’s decision. Further, the Tribunal itself retains jurisdiction to stay its orders pending appeal.

Any attempt by the CA to publish revocation notices in the Kenya Gazette or to take any steps to shut down our stations before the appellate process is concluded will be met with immediate legal action for contempt. We will not allow a bureaucratic agency to trample on the rule of law in pursuit of a political vendetta.

The Standard Group is not merely a commercial enterprise. We are the oldest and one of the most trusted media houses in Kenya. For over a century, we have served this nation with fearless, truthful reporting. Our newsrooms have held leaders accountable, exposed corruption, and given voice to the voiceless.

This coordinated assault on our licences sends a chilling message: That the Government will use its regulatory power to silence any media house that refuses to bend the knee.

We refuse to be intimidated. We will continue to report the truth, no matter the cost.

To our loyal readers, viewers, and listeners: You have stood with us through wars, through pandemics, through political transitions. Today, we ask for your support once more. The Standard Group is being punished not for failing to pay a debt, but for failing to be silenced. If the Government would simply settle the KSh1.2 billion it owes us, we would settle every shilling owed to the CA and continue serving you without interruption.

We are confident that justice will prevail. We will exhaust every legal avenue to protect our licences, our staff, and our commitment to you, THE KENYAN PEOPLE.

The Standard Group remains open to an amicable resolution, but not under duress. We call upon the Communications Authority to withdraw its revocation threat, to allow the legal process to take its course, and to urge the Government to pay what it owes us so that we can pay what we owe.

We shall not be silenced. We shall not be intimidated. And we shall continue to report the truth, today, tomorrow, and always.

For: The Standard Group PLC Chaacha Mwita Ag. Group Chief Executive Officer