In a ruling delivered on March 27, 2026, the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal gave the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) permission to proceed with the revocation of six broadcasting licenses owned by the media company.
The tribunal dismissed an appeal filed by Standard Media Group, meaning the company lost its attempt to stop the Communications Authority from taking action.
The tribunal stated that the license cancellation process was lawful and followed the Kenya Information and Communications Act, which guides how broadcasting licenses are issued and managed in the country.
According to the Communications Authority, the media house failed to pay arrears amounting to KSh 48,874,524.10. This amount is said to have accumulated over time, and the Authority argues that the company did not comply despite being given several warnings.
The Communications Authority first issued Notices of Contravention on December 4, 2023.
These notices were meant to alert Standard Media Group that it had violated licensing terms by failing to pay the required fees.
The notices gave the company 45 days to settle the debt. The deadline expired on January 17, 2024, but the payment was still not made.
Later, on September 24, 2024, the Communications Authority issued Notices of Revocation, signaling that it would officially cancel the licenses if the company did not clear the outstanding balance.
The six licenses affected include Vybez Radio, Berur FM, Radio Maisha, Spice FM, KTN Burudani, and KTN News.
If the revocation is implemented fully, these stations could be switched off, leaving millions of listeners and viewers without access to their daily news and entertainment programs.
The move could also affect employees working at the stations, including journalists, presenters, producers, and technical staff.
Industry observers say the decision may raise concerns about media freedom, though the government insists the matter is purely about compliance with licensing rules and payment obligations.
0 Comments