Government owes us Sh1.2 billion, Standard Group says as axed employees plan protest
US official says they are watching closely threats against journalists and reporting back to Washington
The Standard Group has decried hostility from the government over its bold coverage of public issues, including impunity and corruption.
Chacha Mwita, the new Chief Executive Editor at the country’s oldest media house, revealed that the William Ruto administration has stifled advertising on its platforms, in addition to failing to release Ksh 1.2 billion in pending bills.
“Basically, when a country’s media is not aggressive enough, then a lot of things suffer. Our journalism is bold because we believe the media must hold those in authority, both public and private, accountable,” Mwita said during a courtesy call by James Hagengruber, Press Attache and Spokesman
“As recently as today, we had confirmed advertising contracts cancelled. This is partly due to our principled stand on where this country is and where it ought to be,” Mwita said, adding that journalists at the Mombasa Road-based media houses have also been receiving verbal threats.
Hagengruber termed threats to journalists as unacceptable, adding press freedom is non-negotiable. .
“Threats to journalists are absolutely unacceptable. The hostile environment that has been described to us is something we are watching closely and reporting back to Washington. When journalists are targeted, something is fundamentally wrong,” he said.
The Standard Group has been going through financial doldrums in recent years, which has seen it fail to pay staff salaries and statutory contributions for months as well as clearing severance pay for those who were declared redundant last August.
Those who left out of frustration or their contracts were not renewed are also yet to be paid.
Mwita’s revelations came as the former employees plan to launch as series of protests over unpaid salaries for nine months, severance pay and contributions to Saccos, National Hospital Insurance Fund (now Social Health Insurance Fund), National Social Security Fund, pension and taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority.
The ex-employees complain they were duped into signing a one-year payment plan that was to take effect on September 1 last year but which has not been honoured, a development that has left them in financial distress.
“Our former employees and their families are facing unprecedented hardship due to the company’s failure to honour its legal obligations. We demand accountability and immediate action to rectify this gross misconduct,” a former Standard employee says.
The former employees are this morning scheduled to notify the Nairobi regional police of a planned mega protest to air their grievances.
