Daily Nation's Use of DP William Ruto's Picture Costs Them Dearly

The Daily Nation Newspaper was forced to apologize to Deputy President William Ruto for using his picture to illustrate the ongoing sugar scandal.

On Sunday, the newspaper's first page published a picture of the DP with House Majority Leader Aden Duale together with businessman Jas Bedi whom they alleged was Jaswant Rai.

The story implied that DP Ruto was a close associate of Mr Rai who is the Western  Kenya Sugar Companies chairman.

However, on Monday the newspaper apologized to DP Ruto, Mr Duale, Mr Bedi and Mr Rai for the mix-up.

[caption caption="The apology issued by the Daily Nation"][/caption]

"In the July 1 edition of the Sunday Nation, a picture of Deputy President with National Assembly Leader Aden Duale and Nakuru Industrialist Jas Bedi was used to illustrate a story on the ongoing sugar importation saga," the apology read in part.

"A caption accompanying the picture wrongly identified Mr Bedi as Mr Jaswant Rai. We take this early opportunity to apologize to the Deputy President, Mr Duale, Mr Bedi and Mr Rai for the mix-up and misrepresentation," it added.

According to reports, the picture used was taken at a different function which the DP had attended with the House Majority Leader.

In the story, the newspaper had alleged that the Judiciary and the Executive have been in Mr Rai’s pocket and some individuals acted as his lobbyists.

Part of the story read: "Mr Rai is not your ordinary tenderpreneur who pops out when the government announces a mega project or keeps shuttling between government offices to push for tenders; he has deep roots weaved around powerful political families; granting him his commercial wishes."

[caption caption="The top image of the Sunday Nation which had misrepresented the DP, MP Aden Duale and Mr Jas Bedi"][/caption]

It further added: "He has a long-range approach, seeing from far and angling appropriately with a powerful lobby machinery that gets him what he wants."