The Standard Group PLC is facing a major setback after a tribunal allowed the government to revoke six of its broadcasting licences over unpaid fees.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal sided with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), saying the move to cancel the licences is legal and follows the law.
The licences affected include Radio Maisha, Spice FM, Vybez Radio, Berur FM, KTN Burudani and KTN News.
According to the tribunal, the media house failed to pay licence fees and the Universal Service Fund levy for a long time, even after being given several chances to clear the debt.
“The authority gave enough time and opportunities for the company to settle the arrears, but this was not done,” the ruling said.
The dispute has been ongoing for years. The CA first raised the issue in 2023 and later issued notices warning that the licences would be revoked if the money was not paid.
By April 2025, the regulator said the total debt had reached over KSh48.8 million, including both licence fees and other statutory charges.
The media house did not deny owing the money but told the tribunal it had agreed on a payment plan with the authority. It argued that the revocation notices went against that agreement and could affect freedom of expression.
However, the tribunal rejected the claim, arguing that the rules guiding broadcasting need to be followed and cannot be disregarded.
The tribunal also argued that broadcasting frequencies are public resources that need to be well managed.
This ruling comes at a bad time for the Standard Group, which has in the recent past faced a series of challenges, including financial problems and the laying off of some employees.
The company has also faced pressure from different quarters regarding the editorial policy.
If the licences are revoked, it could have a major impact on some of the popular radio and television stations in the country.