On her part, Winnie Kilonzo said blocking journalists from covering a public event undermines media freedom, adding that accountability requires openness rather than restrictions.
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Sammy Muhanji called on other private media stations to withdraw coverage of the president’s functions and leave it to KBC, arguing that an attack on one media house is an attack on all media houses.
Ritho Mwangi also weighed in on the matter, stating that media freedom is not a preserve of the sitting president but a constitutional right. He added that Standard Group is not a government mouthpiece.
This incident comes amid a history of strained relations between Standard Group and state officials, including previous cases where its journalists were barred from covering presidential events.
On May 31, 2025, two Standard Group journalists were denied entry to State House, Nairobi, where they had been invited to cover a joint press briefing by President William Ruto and visiting Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, who was on a three-day state visit to Kenya.
The journalists, alongside other reporters, waited for more than three hours outside State House Gate D before a plainclothes police officer arrived around 11:30 a.m. and called the group closer, only for them to be denied access.
CA Allowed to Cancel Broadcaster’s Licences Over Ksh 48.9 Million Arrears
It also comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between the media house and government regulators.
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The Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal on Friday, March 27, allowed the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to revoke six broadcasting licences held by Standard Media Group over alleged unpaid fees amounting to Sh48.87 million.
The tribunal upheld the regulator’s position that the broadcaster had failed to meet licence obligations despite repeated notices, clearing the way for action against stations including KTN News, KTN Burudani, Radio Maisha, Vybez Radio, Berur FM, and Spice FM.
Standard Group, however, has disputed the decision, saying it is considering legal action and arguing that the matter is still under judicial review.
The media house maintains that the dispute also involves unresolved debts owed to it by government agencies and insists it will continue operating while pursuing legal remedies.
