The Standard Newspaper has boldly rebuked the recent statements made by Suba East MP Junet Mohammed and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, accusing the leaders of launching coordinated attacks on media freedom.
In a note by its Editorial Team on the Saturday Standard, the group condemned Junet’s rant in Parliament, where he accused The Standard Group and its shareholders of inciting genocide.
According to the Standard, the allegations by June are defamatory, inflammatory, and dangerous and send a chilling message to journalists across the country.
“To liken any media house to the propagandist machinery of Rwanda’s dark past that fueled the 1994 genocide is not only misleading but insulting to the memory of over 800,000 lives lost. It is tantamount to dancing on their remains for political mileage. Shame on you!” the Standard boldly said.
The Standard also took issue with Junet’s attempt to drag former Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, a shareholder in the Media House, into the controversy by suggesting links to Rwandan genocide financier Félicien Kabuga.
“This is not parliamentary oversight; it is a personal attack disguised as political concern,” the editorial said.
The media house also called out Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen for his hostile rhetoric toward the media, which they described as a hostility pattern towards independent journalism.
However, despite the attacks from the leaders, the media house has assured Kenyans that it will remain committed to its mandate to fearless, independent, and trustworthy journalism, vowing not to be silenced by political intimidation.
The editorial also reminded Parliament of its constitutional duty to the Fourth Estate and not to destroy it.
“Do not allow personal vendetta to override constitutional values. When in doubt, look up at the motto inscribed at the door to your chamber 'For the welfare of society and the just government of the people',” the media house continued.
The disagreement between the leaders and the media house comes amid heightened political tension following the June 25 protests, during which 19 people were killed and hundreds injured.
The media, including The Standard, have played a critical role in documenting the violence and amplifying calls for responsibility. By
