Standard Group Given One Year To Pay Former CEO Over Ksh 38 Million
This follows a ruling by the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi last week
Marvin Chege 
Standard Group Limited has been ordered to compensate former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Orlando Lyomu a sum of over Ksh 38 million, an amount that must be settled in 12 equal monthly instalments.
This follows a ruling by the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi last week, with Justice Byram Ongaya directing the century-old media house to pay the amount beginning May 5, 2025.
"That the Respondent pays the balance of the judgment amount in twelve (12) equal consecutive instalments, with the first instalment being payable on or before 5th May 2025. Subsequent instalments to be paid on or before the 5th day of every month until payment in full," part of the orders read.
Former Standard Group Limited CEO Orlando Lyomu. /FILE
"That the assessed party and party costs in the sum of Ksh1,021,140 be paid in two (2) equal consecutive instalments through the law firm of Nyachae & Ashitiva Advocates on or before 5th May 2025."
The amount included unpaid salary, six months' pay in place of notice, unused leave days, and a bonus for March 2023.
The court confirmed the validity of a consent deal previously made between Lyomu and the company to settle his post-employment payments.
On October 16, 2024, the court directed the media house to pay Ksh38,342,857 in monthly instalments of Ksh750,000, plus Ksh1,021,140 in legal fees, within three months. However, by December 2024, the complainant reported that Standard Group had failed to honour the court-approved consent agreement.
By March 2025, Lyomu had only received Ksh4,507,655 out of the expected Ksh5,250,000, prompting him to return to court seeking additional orders—this time pushing for the remaining Ksh33 million to be paid in Ksh5 million monthly instalments.
Under the new ruling, the company is now required to pay its former CEO over Ksh2.75 million each month, along with an extra Ksh500,000 for two months to clear legal fees totalling over Ksh1 million.
Lyomu was appointed as Standard Group's CEO on May 25, 2018, replacing Sam Shollei, who had resigned in September 2017. Lyomu was the Group’s Finance Director and Chief Operating Officer prior to his ascension to the top role.
Five years later, he resigned from the financially embattled media house. Sources told Viral Tea on June 28, 20234 that Lyomu's ouster was a result of boardroom wars at the media house over a financial crisis that led to a massive haemorrhage of staff, including talented journalists, most of whom joined rival media houses.
The conflict was alleged to have been triggered by two major shareholders in terms of the normal operations of Standard Group; one of them being the family of the late former president Daniel Arap Moi, regarding the direction the company would take if Lyomu were to remain in charge.
Lyomu is a business leader with over 15 years of executive leadership experience in different industries. Before venturing into the media, he worked in the petroleum industry and was in charge of operations across four countries, primarily Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.
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