Multi-party democracy and beyond

We also covered the political raucous that marked the single-party rule and the repeal of Section 2a that ushered in multi-party democracy in 1991.
In 1997, the Standard Newspapers Group Ltd (SNGL) acquired the Kenya Television Network (KTN), becoming the first media house to incorporate both print and electronic media.

KTN became the first privately-owned and independent television station in the country.The Standard Group went Online in October 1999 and its website has been attracting millions of readers.

The opening up of democratic space inevitably came with a little more freedom for the media, but politicians in power still sought to muzzle the media whenever the Opposition was given coverage criticising the excesses of government.

It took another decade before the Opposition could consolidate against Kanu and win the 2002 transitional General Election, in which former President Moi was leaving office at the end of his constitutional mandate.

The Standard was also there with its tradition of incisive coverage in 2003 when Kanu handed over power to the National Rainbow coalition (Narc) after ruling Kenya for over 40 years.