Standard Group Plc has appointed Dr Naim Bilal Yaseen as its substantive Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 November 2026. The decision ends a period of leadership uncertainty that followed the abrupt departure of his predecessor, Chaacha Mwita, earlier in October.
“Following the conclusion of a competitive recruitment process, the Board of Directors of The Standard Group PLC (TSG) has appointed Dr Naim Bilal Yaseen, PhD, to the position, effective 1st November 2026,” the company said in a statement.
Mwita resigned barely seven months after assuming the substantive role; the company did not disclose the reasons for his exit. In the interim, Acting Group Editorial Director John Bundotich served as Acting CEO while the board conducted its search.
Dr Naim inherits a media organisation grappling with severe financial and operational headwinds, including chronic salary delays, reported difficulties remitting statutory deductions, and mounting pressure from creditors.
His immediate priority will be to restore financial stability, strengthen operational efficiency and rebuild confidence among employees, creditors, advertisers and other business partners.
The leadership change unfolds against a backdrop of prolonged fiscal distress at Standard Group, which has struggled to regain its footing since the departure of former chief executive Sam Shollei. The new CEO is expected to craft a credible recovery strategy that addresses the company’s liquidity squeeze while positioning its diverse media assets for sustainable growth.
A critical test will be whether Standard Group can attract a strategic investor or secure fresh capital to underwrite its turnaround. Equally important is the board’s willingness to provide the financial and operational backing the new management team requires to restore competitiveness.
Standard Group operates across print, television, radio and digital platforms, giving it a substantial presence in Kenya’s media industry.
The group’s newspaper portfolio includes The Standard, Saturday Standard, Sunday Standard and The Nairobian. Its broadcast holdings comprise KTN News, KTN Farmers, KTN Burudani, Radio Maisha, Spice FM and Vybes Radio.
Maintaining such a broad footprint carries significant overhead at a time when traditional media contends with declining print revenues, shifting audience habits, competition from digital platforms, and the migration of advertising spend online.
These industry-wide pressures have intensified the need for media companies to diversify revenue streams, invest in digital products and adopt more efficient business models.
For Standard Group, the challenge lies in converting its established brands, audience reach and broadcast infrastructure into sustainable revenue growth without compromising journalistic operations.
Dr Naim brings more than three decades of experience spanning media management, public administration, corporate governance, communication and law. He most recently served as Managing Director of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), overseeing an organisation of more than 1,000 employees and an asset portfolio valued at over KSh15 billion.
His public-sector experience also includes serving as Acting Director of Information in Kenya. In the Judiciary, he served as Director of Public Affairs and Communication and participated in implementing the first phase of the Judiciary Transformation Framework.
In Parliament, he worked as Project Director of the Parliamentary Strengthening Project under the State University of New York (SUNY Kenya). Before moving into public service, Dr Naim built his career in the private media sector at Nation Media Group, where he rose to become Managing Editor in both print and broadcasting divisions.
His professional background therefore combines newsroom leadership, broadcasting management and the administration of large public institutions.
Academically, Dr Naim holds a PhD in Communication Studies from Moi University, a dual Master of Business Administration from the University of Lleida in Spain, and a Master’s degree in Communications Policy from City University in the United Kingdom.
He also holds a Bachelor of Police Science and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of South Africa, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and has undertaken additional multidisciplinary professional training.
His appointment unites journalism, corporate management and public administration expertise at a moment when Standard Group faces the difficult task of stabilising its finances and repositioning itself in an increasingly competitive media market.
Ultimately, the success of his tenure will be measured not only by the company’s ability to restore profitability but also by its capacity to meet employee obligations, rebuild stakeholder confidence and establish a sustainable business model for its media operations.
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