Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei has cautioned Kenyans against consuming media content, particularly from news outlets known for perceived bias and misinformation.
Sing'Oei, in a brief statement on Thursday, May 8, accused a section of media houses in Kenya of allegedly diverting from the truth to spread propaganda aimed at destroying the government's reputation.
In particular, the PS criticised The Standard newspaper over its controversial ‘Lies Getting Bigger’ headline on its Thursday edition, which targeted President William Ruto's administration.
"When the media morphs from truth-seeking into political propagandists and information anarchists, the population must be more circumspect in the consumption of media content," Sing'Oei wrote on his X account.
Sing'Oei made the remarks while responding to Lawyer Ekuru Aukot, who commended the media outlet over its 'bold' headline. Aukot, in a statement, echoed the Standard Newspaper's headline, which criticised Ruto for allegedly lying to Kenyans.
While taking a swipe at the Head of State, the renowned legal practitioner suggested that the contentious headline be translated into various vernacular languages for those who were unable to understand its meaning.
"The bigger question remains whether my fellow Kenyans now appreciate that President William Ruto is simply a lying president and that his government is a failed regime," he commented.
"Should the Standard Media translate its headlines into vernacular language for Kenyans to internalise?" Aukot questioned.
In its ‘Lies Getting Bigger’ article, the media outlet took a swipe at Ruto for reportedly lying about his plans to meet a man who, according to The Standard, passed away in 2017.
According to the media house, Ruto made the remarks on Wednesday, May 7, during his Narok tour, where he revealed that he would meet the deceased Isaiah Cheluget over a Narok farm. However, Cheluget passed away in June 2017 at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu.
This is not the first time The Standard Newspaper has drawn criticism from high-profile politicians and government officials over its headlines. Barely four days ago, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga slammed the media house over the 'Our Turn to Eat' headline.
Odinga, through his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, on Sunday, May 4, termed the headline a smear campaign against him and his family members.
Raila claimed the article was inappropriate, especially due to the great risk the former Prime Minister took for the sake of the nation.
