Gideon Moi Urges Standard Newspaper To Tone Down Criticism Of President Ruto After State House Meeting

KANU chairman Gideon Moi appears to have softened his stance towards President William Ruto following a meeting at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday.

According to sources, the two leaders held a private discussion that centered on the upcoming Baringo senatorial by-election and the need to foster unity within the Kalenjin community.

Reports further indicate that part of their conversation also touched on the role of the media in promoting national cohesion and balanced reporting. Given that Moi owns the Standard Media Group (SMG), which runs The Standard newspaper and KTN News, President Ruto is said to have expressed concern over the publication’s recent critical headlines targeting his administration.

The president reportedly appealed to Moi to encourage his media house to highlight the government’s flagship projects—including the Social Health Authority and the Affordable Housing Programme—in a more positive light.

Shortly after the State House engagement, sources allege that Gideon Moi issued a directive to senior editors at Standard Media Group, urging them to adopt a more government-friendly editorial tone and to avoid what he termed as “unnecessarily controversial” coverage of the broad-based administration.

While SMG has yet to officially comment on the claims, insiders suggest that editorial adjustments may already be underway as part of a wider effort to improve relations between the media house and the government.

Here is Gideon Moi’s letter to the editors.