If the media and the State were two children of Mother Kenya, she would be smiling with pride today. Not because they never disagree, but because they are beginning to act their age. Like maturing siblings, they still challenge one another, sometimes publicly and sharply. Their growing maturity is, in many ways, a reflection of our democratic evolution.
President William Ruto’s recent exchange of jabs with Standard Media Group spotlighted the state of media freedom in our country. The President criticised the media house’s editorial approach in its thoroughgoing critique of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s performance, while the company responded with even more hard-to-ignore questions for the Head of State.
Such confrontations should not alarm us. They are often hallmarks of a healthy democracy. American media mogul Joseph Pulitzer famously observed that, “Newspapers should have no friends.” Wherever the media is genuinely free, friction with those in power is inevitable. We should worry only when the media becomes a friend of the state.
This trend is hardly unique to Kenya. In Finland, consistently ranked among the world’s freest countries for the press in the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, President Alexander Stubb recently hit out at the media for scrutinising his son’s internship at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. The Council for Mass Media in Finland responded that the matter was of legitimate public interest.
In Denmark, another of the world’s strongest democracies, government ministers have publicly criticised sections of the domestic press for perceived political bias. The Danish government has also proposed the establishment of a publicly funded Media Ombudsperson with broad powers over media conduct.
Then across the Atlantic, President Donald Trump is well known for branding sections of the American media “fake news.” He has repeatedly traded blows with CNN, NBC News, CBS News and ABC News, accusing them of unfair and politically motivated reporting. Most notably, in 2018, his repeated attacks on the media prompted an unusual response from the press itself, with over 300 news organisations publishing editorials as part of a coordinated media campaign to reaffirm the role of an independent press. His return to the White House has done little to ease those tensions. If anything, his second term has been marked by renewed public attacks and fresh legal disputes between the White House and major news organisations.
These examples point to a simple truth. Disagreements between governments and the press are not necessarily evidence of shrinking media freedom. They demonstrate that journalists can question those in authority without being silenced. What should concern us instead is intimidation, arbitrary arrests of journalists, raids on media houses, and the shutdown of media outlets. As Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski once said, “Great rivalries don’t have to be built on hatred. They’re built on respect, on a respect for excellence.” The relationship between the state and the media should aspire to the same standard for democracy to evolve.
The more meaningful comparison for Kenya, however, lies much closer to home. Barely days after the Ruto-Standard Group exchange, neighbouring Uganda offered a reminder of what genuine media repression looks like. Through a mere post on X, Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba ordered a security crackdown that resulted in the shutdown of some media organisations.
Similarly, in many countries, the state still retains a legal monopoly over broadcast media, while journalists are expected to toe the government’s editorial line.
I dare say that Kenya has largely moved beyond such practices, which belong to primitivity and dictatorships. Our newspapers regularly publish hard-hitting headlines against the government. TV stations freely host hot political debates. Perhaps most significantly, Kenyans routinely criticise, satirise, and challenge political leaders, including the Head of State, across both traditional and digital media. In fact, it is encouraging that political cartoons, memes, and sharp commentary have become part of our everyday public discourse. All in all, our media freedom is not perfect, but it is better than most.
