NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto is using terms like “blackmail” and “extortionist ” to assail the Standard Media Group in a recent, fresh attack following an explosive documentary.
In a 41-word X post on Thursday, June 24, Ruto tore into the local outlet, terming its recent headlines “extortionist propaganda”.
Curiously and clearly attuned to the daily coverage, Ruto dared the outlet to ‘do its worst’ while directly addressing KANU Chairman Gideon Moi, whose family is associated with the media house.
The quote here is taken verbatim from the Head of State’s tweet, including punctuation errors and typos.
“GMoi,your STANDARD media’s 5 days a week EXTORTIONIST propaganda HEADLINES on me & my administration’s transformative track record will get you NOTHING & NOWHERE.BLACKMAIL to yield to your GREED? NEVER.Kenya belongs to all Kenyans,not you alone.Jaribu 8 days a week. Do your WORST,” he tweeted.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions following the airing of a documentary that cast a critical spotlight on his administration.
Ruto’s media-bashing, often a dull background hum, now rings more sharply. He has repeatedly accused sections of the media of focusing on negative coverage while overlooking government achievements.
Speaking during the National Prayer Breakfast on May 28, 2026, he claimed the whole business model was built on catchy headlines rather than truthful information.
“A journalist once told me that bad news sells more than good news. That is why I don’t mind the negative headlines we always see. Let people make money,” he said.
Notably, there’s nothing subtle about Ruto’s attack-the-messenger strategy.
The comments are the latest in a string of criticisms by Ruto directed at both traditional newsrooms and social media platforms, which he has repeatedly accused of spreading misleading or overly negative narratives about Kenya and his administration.
In April, President William Ruto also urged Kenyans living in the diaspora to be cautious about relying on social media for news about the country, claiming it was misleading or outright false.
He was speaking during an official visit to Italy.
“You read a lot of stories on social media, most which is fake, misinformation, three quarters of it is disinformation,” Ruto said. “It is good to get a correct picture of where we are as a country.”
As of publication, Standard Media Group, Gideon Moi and the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) had not publicly responded to the President’s latest remarks.
