Standard Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chaacha Mwita is set to exit the media company on November 1, 2026, barely seven months after his appointment to the substantive position.
The company disclosed his impending departure in a notice signed by Company Secretary Catherine Kawira on behalf of the Board of Directors. Mwita will also relinquish his role as an Executive Director, although the company has not revealed the circumstances behind his resignation.
“The Board takes this opportunity to express its sincere appreciation to Mr Chaacha for his dedication and invaluable contribution to the Company,” the statement read.
Mwita assumed the substantive CEO position on April 1, 2026, after serving as Acting CEO from July 1, 2025.
He took over the acting position following the departure of Marion Gathoga-Mwangi, who resigned effective June 30, 2025, after approximately one year at the helm of the media group.
His planned exit comes amid a series of changes within Standard Group's board and senior leadership.
On October 12, the company announced that Edward Mwasi and Dr James McFie had stepped down as Non-Executive Directors, with their resignations taking effect on August 31, 2026.
The media house subsequently unveiled three new Independent Non-Executive Directors: Anthony Ambaka Kegode, Tom Odongo and Elishah Njeru. Their appointments took effect on October 15, 2026.
Standard Group has yet to announce who will succeed Mwita as CEO, leaving the company facing another leadership transition as it grapples with financial difficulties affecting its operations.
The publicly listed media company has been dealing with financial losses and challenges in securing additional capital. Its proposed rights issue, which was expected to raise approximately Ksh1.5 billion, has been suspended.
The company's financial pressures have also been compounded by outstanding government advertising payments, a challenge that has affected cash flow across the media industry.
Based along Mombasa Road in Nairobi, Standard Group operates several media platforms, including The Standard newspaper, KTN Television and Radio Maisha.
Mwita's impending departure adds to the changes taking place within Kenya's media industry, where major players have continued to restructure their leadership teams and editorial operations.
Nation Media Group recently announced several appointments within its editorial hierarchy, including Joe Ageyo as Editor-in-Chief of its Ugandan operations and Washington Gikunju as Acting Managing Editor in Uganda.
In Kenya, Harry Misiko was appointed Acting Editor-in-Chief as part of the wider changes at Nation Media Group.
The developments at both media houses highlight a period of organisational adjustments across the industry as companies reposition their leadership teams amid changing operational and financial demands.
