Digital strategist and presidential ally Dennis Itumbi has accused Standard Media of bias following a front-page headline that cast Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale, Kipchumba Murkomen, and Davis Chirchir in a negative light.
In a statement on his official X account on Sunday, August 31, Itumbi claimed that the media house had abandoned journalistic professionalism, instead positioning itself as a political player. “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 wrote.
The headline in question, titled “Unmoved by outcry,” portrayed the three Cabinet Secretaries as surviving a string of scandals
from fraud allegations and insecurity lapses to fatal road accidents. The report suggested that their continued survival in government was not due to performance but loyalty to President William Ruto.
Duale, the Health CS, has faced scrutiny after alleged fraud at the Social Health Authority (SHA), while Murkomen has been under pressure over insecurity challenges in parts of the country. Transport CS Chirchir, on the other hand, has been criticised for failing to implement measures to reduce rising road accidents.
The Standard’s article argued that the trio’s political survival stemmed from their “unbreakable bond” with the Head of State, describing scandal as “merely the cost of doing business” within Ruto’s inner circle.
Duale, speaking in Narok on Saturday, August 30, dismissed the criticism, claiming it was sponsored by cartels resisting reforms in the health sector. He maintained that his ministry was committed to transforming healthcare, echoing President Ruto’s vision. “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 said.
Itumbi’s remarks add to the ongoing tension between government officials and sections of the media, with questions of accountability, press freedom, and political loyalty continuing to dominate national discourse.
