The Standard Group PLC, which owns KTN, now claims the government, through the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), is planning to revoke its broadcasting licence.
Through an announcement made during the 9 pm bulletin, the media company revealed it received a notice from CA announcing the revocation of its license for allegedly failing to pay a Ksh43 million fee.
The media house noted that the Ksh43 million was a regulatory fee, which it agreed upon with the government in December last year after consultations.
In the agreement, Standard Group pledged to make an initial payment of Ksh10 million, which it honoured on December 27 last year, but promised to make another payment of Ksh24 million once the Rights Issue was finalised.
Further, the company and the government agreed on a monthly repayment structure of Ksh2.5 million starting in January this year. However, the media outlet increased the monthly payout plan to Ksh4 million, which, according to it, was honoured.
Despite the previous agreement, the company claims that yesterday it received a letter dated 9 April and signed by CA Director General David Mugonyi, revealing plans to revoke its operating licence.
"Please note that the total outstanding regulatory fees currently is Ksh 48,729,488.10, comprising licence fees of Ksh 13,735,298.37 and USF Levy of Ksh 34,994,189.74. The Authority required you to have either settled the total outstanding regulatory fees or at least submitted a payment plan before the expiry of the revocation notices," read part of the notice by CA.
"However, the Standard Group PLC has neither settled the amount nor submitted a payment plan to the Authority despite several meetings and reminders," the notice read further.
According to Standard Group's Chief Executive Editor, Chacha Mwita, the government was allegedly using the debt issue to intimidate the company for reportedly exposing the ills within President William Ruto's administration.
He, however, noted that the company had already applied to the court to request an injunction against the publication of the notice to revoke the media house's broadcasting licences.
Mwita, while lamenting the shutdown threats, accused the government of failing to honour its debt of over Ksh1.2 billion owed to the company, which was accrued from advertisements.
"What I always say is that what we publish and carry is the reality of the day, so if the reality changes, then the headlines will change. We are not going to report things that are not the reality just to make some people happy," Mwita said.
"The strangest thing about this case is that the government owes us over Ksh1.2 billion, and what the CA is asking from us is Ksh48 million, a figure we refute because we have significantly brought it down," he added.
