The Head of Creative Economy, Dennis Itumbi, has once again slammed the Standard Media Group for its recurrent criticism of top government officials.
In a statement on his official X account on Sunday, August 31, Itumbi claimed that the media house had projected itself as a political powerhouse rather than a media outlet.
Itumbi, a close ally of President William Ruto, claimed that the "fake" news published in the newspaper shows a lack of professionalism and is a "total shame" to the country's media ecosystem.
"Dear StandardKenya, please open a newsroom and convert it into a political party, and then bring your manifesto. You should tell us the editor who wants to be the presidential candidate. Your daily fake commentary presented as news is a total shame to Journalism!" Itumbi stated.
Itumbi was responding to the newspaper's latest headline, "Unmoved by outcry," which featured Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, who have been under intense scrutiny in recent months due to the deteriorating situation in their respective portfolios.
In recent weeks, Duale has been in the spotlight following major fraud allegations at the Social Health Authority (SHA), while Murkomen has faced mounting pressure due to insecurity in some parts of the country.
Meanwhile, CS Chirchir has also been criticised for not laying out effective measures to curb the rising number of road accidents in the country.
"COSTLY FRIENDSHIP They have survived scandals that would have ruined lesser men - from the looting of billions under their watch, to questionable oil imports, a high death toll from road accidents and serious human rights abuses," the Standard's story stated.
"But Aden Duale, Davis Chirchir, and Kipchumba Murkomen remain untouchable, shielded not by performance but by their unbreakable bond with President William Ruto. In Ruto's inner circle, survival is not about service; it is about loyalty, and scandal is merely the cost of doing business," it added.
According to the Health CS, the media criticism directed at him has been sponsored by cartels and other individuals resisting reforms in his ministry.
Speaking in Narok on Saturday, August 30, the Health CS said that they will follow in the footsteps of other previous ministers, such as former Transport and Environment Minister John Michuki, who were firm in streamlining their dockets despite pushbacks from such individuals.
"We will not gamble with the health of Kenyans, and as President William Ruto has said, we will make the healthcare of our country accessible and equitable," Duale stated.
