The Standard newspaper has responded with a tongue-in-cheek message to President William Ruto after he accused the publication of consistently attacking his administration.
In a social media post shared on Wednesday, June 24, the Standard Media Group posted a curated image of President Ruto appearing to read a copy of the newspaper.
The image was accompanied by a caption suggesting that “even the President reads The Standard,” in what appeared to be a light-hearted marketing push.
The media house also poked fun at the President’s remarks by joking that it would begin publishing eight days a week, referencing his earlier statement implying the paper could run critical coverage “eight days a week.”
The Standard further reaffirmed its reputation as a trusted, reliable and bold publication while sharing a screenshot of the President’s social media post.
Earlier, President Ruto accused Gideon Moi, whose family is linked to the Standard Media Group, of using the newspaper to publish what he described as falsehoods and propaganda against his administration on a near-daily basis.
The Head of State alleged that the publication’s headlines were intended to blackmail his government but insisted he would not be pressured by such tactics.
“Blackmail to yield to your greed? Never! Kenya belongs to all Kenyans, not you alone. Try doing it eight days a week. Do your worst,” Ruto noted.
The exchange marks the latest episode in the ongoing standoff between the Kenya Kwanza administration and the Standard Media Group.
Several senior government officials have previously criticised the media house, accusing it of publishing misleading reports and advancing propaganda against the government.
