Dozens of former Standard Group employees staged protests on Tuesday along Mombasa Road and outside the company’s headquarters, demanding the immediate settlement of unpaid salaries, redundancy packages, and withheld benefits.

The ex-staff, who included journalists and other media personnel, accused the company of breaching financial agreements despite their long-standing service to one of Kenya’s oldest media houses.

Waving placards and chanting slogans, the protesters expressed frustration over continued delays in payment, alleging that Standard Group has consistently ignored calls to honour promises made during and after their exit from the company.

"We are here to expose gross labour and human rights violations committed by this employer. These include unpaid salaries, non-remittance of pensions, and pending redundancy packages," read a statement released by the former employees.

They further claimed that the situation has pushed many of them into financial distress, unable to afford daily necessities amid tough economic conditions.

Among the grievances raised were:

• Unpaid Salaries and Dues: Many former employees say they are yet to receive full salary arrears months after termination or voluntary exit.

• Non-remittance of Deductions: The company allegedly failed to remit critical deductions from employees’ pay, including SACCO contributions, pension funds, and statutory taxes.

• Broken Payment Agreements: In the latest redundancy exercise, staff were allegedly pressured into signing a one-year payment plan, which has since collapsed without a single installment being made.

Some of the employees were retrenched in July 2024 due to financial challenges facing the media house, while others opted to leave but are still waiting for their compensation.

This isn’t the first protest by the former staff. In December 2024, similar demonstrations were held outside Standard Group’s offices, with calls for intervention from government authorities and labour unions. Despite these repeated efforts, the former staff say they’ve only received “empty promises.”

On Tuesday, the protesting group blocked the company gate along Mombasa Road, calling for accountability and swift action from the leadership, particularly Group CEO Marion Gathoga Mwangi, who by press time had not issued any public response.