After the Second World War

The return of the Kenya’s soldiers, the increase in literacy levels and the clamour for Independence putThe Standard on the fast lane as the trusted source of news.
The Standard had an unrivalled and nearly exclusive coverage of the Mau Mau uprising and the emergency period.
Both the colonialists and Kenyans relied on it for news.
A State of Emergency was declared in 1958. It was a difficult time for Kenyans who were often rounded up for screening. Hundreds were killed while thousands were thrown behind bars. This did not, however, dampen the quest for self-rule and The Standard recorded Kenya’s history as it unfolded.
It was not until October 1960 that Kenya got a second newspaper, which then offered competition to The Standard.
It also captured the final moments as colonialists laid down arms to give way for Independence.
The Standard reported the joy and the great expectations when the nation’s founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was released from detention in 1961 and from then on, Independence was just a matter of time.