We won't cheer failure: Standard Group hits back at Ruto's rant on X

Standard Media Group CEO Chaacha Mwita. [File, Standard]

The Standard Group PLC has hit back at president William Ruto over remarks posted on his X account due to the paper’s coverage of his administration.

The company’s CEO Chaacha Mwita in a statement said that the company holds Ruto’s office to high regard and would not ordinarily respond to him but since he had singled out the Standard Newspaper, a response was necessary.

“We take great exception to the President’s characterisation of our journalism. The post, which was condescending, attacked the very foundation of our journalism using language that falls short of the tone expected from the highest office in the land,” said Mwita.

The CEO questioned why Ruto chose to express his concerns through public disparagement rather than following the established channels, a move he said raises legitimate questions about motives and the solidity of the environment in which the media is expected to operate in Kenya.

“We, however, admit that the President, in his post, was right on one thing: “Kenya belongs to all Kenyans”.

Mwita held that Ruto is Kenya’s leader and when he fails, the country fails adding that The Standard will not cheer on his failure, it will point out and tell the emperor when he is naked.

“The Standard stands for bold, responsible and accountable journalism. We tell the facts as they are, even when they are uncomfortable for those in positions of authority. When we err, it is our policy to correct the record promptly,” said Mwita.

“We uphold the right of reply, and we operate under the Constitution, the law, the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism, and the oversight of recognised regulatory bodies.”

Mwita said that in recent past, during one of the Safari Rally events in Naivasha, President Ruto publicly affirmed the centrality of media freedom where he noted that a democracy must defend the media’s right to criticise.

He said that The Standard is not a propaganda outlet, and the journalism practiced is guided by facts, public interest and professional ethics.

According to Mwita the role of the media’s in a democracy is a watchdog, a responsibility The Standard takes seriously.

“We cannot celebrate the failures of leadership, because when government fails, the country pays the price.”

He argued that the company he leads does not take instructions from any individual or office affirming that independence is the foundation of The Standard’s credibility and service to the public.

“The Standard Group PLC will hold the government fully accountable should any harm befall the media house, its journalists, management, directors or its shareholders as a result of the President’s remarks.”

He questioned Ruto’s use of the word “blackmail” in his X post.

“We pose: What greater form of blackmail is there than a government withholding Sh1.2 billion that it owes us, with the apparent desire of frustrating our operations? Blackmail? We are victims of blackmail; not perpetrators.”

The CEO said that the company employs Kenyans who work hard and deserve the opportunity to earn from their labour questioning why Ruto administration was yet to settle the dues.

“The Standard Group PLC remains committed to its constitutional duty: To inform, to scrutinise and to uphold the public’s right to know, a task we will continue to execute with professional zeal, independence and respect for institutions that safeguard democracy.”