A civil society group has come out to defend the Standard Media Group over what it terms as a threat from the Orange Democratic Movement.
Kenya Bora Tuitakayo, in a statement, said instead of issuing threats against the media house, party leader Raila Odinga should instead help his party decide whether they are part of the disgraced UDA government or are the leadership of the minority side in parliament, commonly called the opposition.
The statement comes shortly after the ODM party released another statement saying it would on Tuesday address a press conference following an article published by The Standard Newspaper.
ODM’s Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen, in the statement, said tomorrow’s presser would determine how the party will relate with the media house in future.
“The Orange Democratic Movement has taken note of the sustained smear campaign by The Standard Newspapers against the Party’s leader, Raila Odinga, and which has now been extended against his entire family. We note that The Standard is determined to negate, demean and destroy the known acts of sacrifice, nationalism and patriotism that Odinga has undertaken at great personal risk to him and family, for the betterment of this nation,” read the statement in part.
It also read, “We wish to assure the party supporters who have been expressing alarm and shock at the smear campaign by the Standard Group that the leadership will be issuing a comprehensive statement and guidance on this development tomorrow, May 6, 2025. The statement will guide our relationship with the Group.”
But in response to this, Kenya Bora Tuitakayo said Standard Group must be living up to its purpose and mission if, as a media house, it is making both President William Ruto and Raila Odinga, Kenya’s two most powerful individuals this amount of discomfort.
“Kenya Bora Tuitakayo has seen the Statement from ODM claiming that the Standard Group is carrying out a smear campaign against Raila Odinga. That statement is intended to intimidate and threaten the Standard Group and the media in Kenya generally to become lapdogs of the men in power, instead of being watchdogs,” the group said.
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“We wish to inform Oduor Ong’wen that the purpose of the print and broadcast media is to make the powerful uncomfortable and to comfort the powerless. What we can’t seem to get is the falsehood or inaccuracy in the Standard Newspaper Headlines regarding the current behaviour by ODM top dogs and Raila Odinga,” the statement said.
According to the civil society group, ODM, unfortunately, wants to have both their cake and eat it.
“The party is the foremost enabler of Ruto’s destructive and authoritarian rule that has destroyed the lives of millions of Kenyans through unemployment, insecurity, high cost of living, lack of medical care, a collapsing and run of the mill education system, high taxes and interest rates not mentioning the extra judicial killings we are witnessing daily across the country,” the statement read.
“To be fair, the Standard Group and indeed all media houses should be more bold in their editorials in order to whip not just Raila but President Ruto and all public and state officials back to order,” said the statement.
