The Standard relaunch in style at Kempinski

A Customer goes through the new look standard newspaper along Uhuru Highway-Mombasa Road round-about on Wednesday, March 29, 2017. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: It was pomp and colour at the Villa Rosa Kempinski on Wednesday evening when guests turned up to witness the relaunch of The Standard.

Those in attendance were treated to a black, red and yellow dinner with a special captain’s order menu of cream of leek and potato soup with bread croutons for appetisers.

A delicious menu of roast fillet beef, roast supreme of chicken and Mediterranean vegetable lasagne was a true reflection of the kind of variety the redesigned Standard newspaper would provide.

At hand in the luxurious ballroom, which was packed with distinguished guests, was Standard Group CEO Sam Shollei.

The guests included ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru, Unctad Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi, Communications Authority boss Francis Wangusi, Safaricom chief Bob Collymore, Barclays Bank boss Jeremy Awory, former Cabinet Minister Martha Karua and Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet.

 “The redesign has taken us a while and in the tradition of newsrooms, we do this to accommodate new trends. I am happy to say the new product brings a bold and modern journalism that will reflect the taste of different readers especially the younger generation,” said Mr Shollei.

Shollei said there was still a core readership that is faithful to newspapers that should be taken care of.

Mr Mucheru lauded The Standard for the redesign. “I am glad to see The Standard relaunch with many sections,” said Mr Mucheru, adding only 100 businesses out of more than one million advertise regularly in Kenya.

Mr Mucheru allayed fears that the State was planning to deny privately-owned media advertising revenue by introducing its own newspaper.