By KPC Reporter
The Media Council of Kenya has rebuked the Standard Group, accusing the media house of trading integrity for sensationalism.
The statement, released on 24 March 2026, centres on a recent front-page headline that screamed “ABDUCTED”, alleging that former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju had been kidnapped.
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The claim was published without verification, and Tuju later reappeared at his residence unharmed.
The Council described the incident as “not only irresponsible but [one that] poses a direct threat to national stability and to the personal safety of the individuals concerned.”
“The ‘Abducted’ headline is not an isolated incident. It reflects a troubling pattern of yellow journalism,” the statement declared, pointing to repeated instances where provocative claims were prioritised over factual accuracy.
The Council emphasised that denying subjects the right of reply and publishing unverified information is a “blatant violation of the Code of Conduct for Media Practice (2025).”
The Council warned of the long-term damage such practices inflict on the industry.
“Whilst clickbait headlines may generate short-term attention, they steadily erode public trust in the media. Once a news organisation loses its credibility, its commercial and social viability is permanently compromised,” the statement read.
It also rejected the Standard Group’s attempts to portray the regulator as compromised, insisting that “reminding a media house of its duty to verify facts and provide the right of reply is an act of protecting the profession, not silencing it.”
“Professionalism is the greatest safeguard of a free press. By abandoning verification, the media invites the very state interference and legal challenges it seeks to avoid,” it cautioned.
Signed by Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo, the Council urged the Standard Group to return to the fundamentals of journalism: “verify before you publish.”
He stressed that the Council remains committed to supporting a free, fair, and responsible press, but will not stand by “whilst the integrity of Kenyan journalism is traded for sensationalism.”
“The public deserves a media that is both bold and truthful. Anything less is a betrayal of the democratic space we have fought so hard to secure.”
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding Tuju has taken a dramatic turn with the emergence of an official charge sheet against him.
According to the document filed at the Kibera Law Courts, Tuju is accused of giving false information to a public officer—specifically, claiming he had been abducted by unknown assailants.
The charge, brought under Section 129(a) of the Penal Code, states that Tuju knowingly misled the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Karen Police Station, prompting a response based on fabricated claims.
Sources say the unfolding case against Tuju may offer the Standard Group a partial defence, but it does not absolve the editorial team of its duty to corroborate claims before splashing them across front pages.
