President William Ruto has launched a fresh attack on KANU Chairman Gideon Moi, this time over the alleged non-payment of salaries to employees of the Standard Group.
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 25, the President questioned why Moi, whom he described as a billionaire, had failed to ensure that staff at the media house received their salaries despite his personal wealth.
Ruto accused Moi of using the company’s financial challenges and outstanding debts as a justification for delaying workers’ pay, arguing that the situation was unfair to employees and undermined both journalism and media freedom.
Ruto renews attack on Gideon Moi. Photo: Courtesy.
The President’s remarks came a day after the Standard Group publicly defended its editorial independence in response to his criticism of the newspaper’s coverage.
In a statement released on Wednesday, June 24, Standard Group Chief Executive Officer Chacha Mwita rejected the President’s accusations and described his remarks as an attack on the foundation of the media house’s journalism.
Mwita also dismissed claims that the company had attempted to blackmail the government, instead alleging that the Standard Group had faced financial pressure due to delayed payments of about Ksh1.2 billion that it says is owed by the government.
He argued that withholding the funds had negatively affected the company’s operations and maintained that the media house, rather than the government, was the victim of financial pressure.
The CEO further appealed for the protection of employees’ livelihoods, noting that the company’s workers deserved to be paid for their labour and urging the government to uphold its commitment to fairness and media freedom through its actions.
The latest exchange escalates the public standoff between President Ruto and the Standard Group, which began on Wednesday when the Head of State accused Gideon Moi of using the newspaper to publish propaganda and attempt to blackmail his administration.
