Over 400 Former Employees of Standard Group PLC Demonstrate
Over 400 former employees of Standard Group PLC, one of Kenya’s most prominent media houses, staged a protest outside the company’s headquarters on Mombasa Road on Tuesday, demanding the immediate payment of their unpaid dues and the remittance of statutory contributions. The protest, which drew support from the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and various human rights organizations, highlighted a series of broken promises from the media giant, which has failed to pay millions of shillings owed to former staff members.
The disgruntled ex-employees are calling for accountability from the management, shareholders, and board members of Standard Group, accusing the company of failing to meet its legal and ethical obligations to its workers. Despite formal commitments from the company over the years, many of the former employees are yet to receive their final salary payments, redundancy packages, and remittances to the staff SACCOs, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), and other statutory bodies.
“We have been patient for far too long. We are tired of empty promises,” said one protestor. “Standard Group needs to take responsibility for what it owes us. We worked hard for this company, and now we are demanding what is rightfully ours. Enough is enough!”
The protestors, including former journalists, technical staff, and other employees, are deeply frustrated by the company’s repeated failure to address their grievances. In particular, they are seeking the immediate settlement of salary arrears that date back to mid-2023 and early 2024, as well as the redundancy payments owed to those laid off by the company in 2024. Among the most pressing issues is the failure to pay the first two instalments of redundancy dues promised to former staff in September and October 2024.
One former employee shared their personal struggle: “The company promised us a one-year redundancy payment plan after we were let go in July 2024. The first two instalments were supposed to be paid by September and October, but here we are, in December, with nothing. We are in financial distress and facing hardship every day.”
The plight of the former employees goes beyond unpaid wages. Many have reported difficulties in accessing essential services due to unpaid contributions to statutory bodies. One protestor explained, “The last time the company remitted anything to NSSF was September 2022. For KRA, it’s even worse—some months, PAYE was deducted from our payslips, but it wasn’t sent to the tax authority. This has left us without the tax clearance certificates we need to pursue new job opportunities. It is a violation of our right to livelihood.”
Many of the former employees are struggling to meet basic needs, such as paying rent, school fees, and healthcare. Some have been evicted from their homes due to unpaid rent arrears, while others are unable to pay school fees to secure clearance for their children to join public schools. Health issues have also compounded the situation, with some former employees unable to afford medication or essential treatments due to lack of funds.
“Some of us have had to turn to casual labor or construction work just to put food on the table for our families,” said another former employee. “It’s heartbreaking. We dedicated years of our lives to this company, and now we’re left to beg for what we are owed.”
The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) has strongly condemned the actions of Standard Group, labeling the company’s failure to pay its employees as a serious violation of labor and human rights. The union has called on the Ministry of Labour, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), and other relevant authorities to intervene and hold the company accountable for its actions. KUJ has also appealed to both Kenyan and international corporations doing business with Standard Group, as well as advertising agencies, to pressure the company’s management to honor its commitments to its former employees.
“The suffering of these workers is not just a corporate failure, it is a violation of their basic human rights,” said a spokesperson for KUJ. “We stand in solidarity with the former employees, and we call on the government and labor rights organizations to ensure that Standard Group is held accountable for this prolonged exploitation.”
In addition to demanding the immediate payment of salary arrears, the protestors are also calling for full remittance of contributions to KRA, NSSF, NHIF, private pension schemes, and SACCOs. For years, these statutory deductions were made from employees’ salaries but were never passed on to the relevant authorities. As a result, many of the former employees have been unable to access their pension funds or health insurance, compounding their financial struggles.
The protestors are urging the Commissioner for Co-operative Development (CCD) to expedite the release of funds held by staff SACCOs, which have been frozen for over three years. The CCD has taken some action, issuing Agency Notices to the SACCO’s bankers, but the workers are still awaiting a clear timeline for when they will be able to access their savings.
“We’ve been in the dark for far too long. Many of us rely on our SACCO savings to pay for essential services like healthcare and education, but we are being denied access to our own money,” one SACCO member said. “We appreciate the CCD’s involvement, but we need more transparency and a clear plan for recovery.”
Standard Group, which owns prominent media properties like *The Standard*, *KTN*, *Radio Maisha*, and *Spice FM*, has faced a decline in its financial situation over the past few years. Despite its ongoing struggles, the company has continued to lay off employees, offering them redundancy packages that have not been honored. In the past four years, more than 150 employees resigned voluntarily due to the company’s failure to pay salaries and meet statutory obligations. Furthermore, over 300 employees were made redundant but left with empty promises instead of the agreed compensation.
“This isn’t just about money; it’s about our dignity,” said one protester. “We gave everything to this company. We worked hard to build its brands, and now we are being treated like we don’t matter. It’s unacceptable.”
The former employees have also called on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) to delist Standard Group until it fulfills its obligations to workers. As a publicly listed company, they believe the company’s board and shareholders should be held responsible for the ongoing mistreatment of its workforce.
“We want the CMA to take immediate action and delist Standard Group from the Nairobi Securities Exchange. We also call on the Ministry of Labour, the Retirement Benefits Authority, and other relevant authorities to act decisively and ensure that Standard Group is held accountable for its gross violation of workers’ rights,” the protestors declared.
The group is also demanding that the company pay all outstanding salary arrears from June, July, and August 2023, as well as from March to July 2024. They also want Standard Group to adhere to the redundancy payment plan promised to employees in 2024, with immediate settlement of the overdue instalments. Furthermore, they are calling for the full payment of dues owed to former employees who left voluntarily or were made redundant, as well as the remittance of all withheld deductions to KRA, NSSF, NHIF, private pension schemes, and SACCO savings without further delay.
The protestors are demanding the establishment of a clear timeline for the release of SACCO funds, with full transparency and accountability under the oversight of the CCD.
The protest continues as the former employees remain resolute in their demand for justice and compensation. Their message is clear: they will not back down until Standard Group honors its obligations and respects their rights as workers.
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