The Standard (Kenya)
Encyclopedia
The Standard is one of the leading newspapers in Kenya
with a 20% market share. It is the oldest newspaper
in the country owned by The Standard Group, which also runs the Kenya Television Network
(KTN). The Standard Group is headquartered at the I&M Bank Tower
in Nairobi
.
to Nairobi
in 1910. At the time the newspaper declared strongly colonialist viewpoints. The British-based Lonrho Group bought the newspaper in 1963, only a few months before Kenya's independence. The paper changed its name to the Standard in 1977 but the name East African Standard was revived later. It was sold to Kenyan investors in 1995. In 2004 the name was changed back to The Standard. It is the main rival to Kenya's largest newspaper, the Daily Nation
. In 1989,at a time when Kenya was going into multi-party era,the Standard Group acquired the KTN Television Channel.
and senior opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka
had been holding secret meetings. At 1:00am local time (2200 UTC
), on March 2, masked gunmen carrying AK-47
s raided the editorial office of The Standard, and of its television station
KTN. They kicked and beat staff members, forcibly took computer
s and transmission equipment, burned all the copies of the March 2nd edition of the newspaper, and damaged the press
es. At KTN, they shut down its flow of electricity
, putting the station off the air. Initially, the Kenyan information minister claimed no knowledge of the raid, but has since revealed that Kenyan police were responsible, and stated that the incident was to safeguard state security
. "If you rattle a snake you must be prepared to be bitten by it," John Michuki
said. Three journalist
s at The Standard, arrested after the critical story was printed, were released on March 2 on bail of 50,000 Kenyan shillings (US$692).
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
with a 20% market share. It is the oldest newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in the country owned by The Standard Group, which also runs the Kenya Television Network
Kenya Television Network
Kenya Television Network is the leading television station in Kenya with its headquarters at the I & M Towers in downtown Nairobi. Its headquarters will change later on in the year as it moves in with its parent company's other subsidiaries at the newly-built Standard Group Centre on Mombasa road...
(KTN). The Standard Group is headquartered at the I&M Bank Tower
I&M Bank Tower
-Overview:Completed in 2001, the tower is the main headquarters for I&M Bank Limited . In the past, the building also served as the headquarters of the Standard Group, which includes The Standard newspaper and Kenya Television Network TV-station....
in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
.
History
The newspaper was established as the African Standard in 1902 as a weekly. The Standard's founder, Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee sold the paper to two British businessmen in 1905, who changed the name to the East African Standard. It became a daily paper and moved its headquarters from MombasaMombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
to Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
in 1910. At the time the newspaper declared strongly colonialist viewpoints. The British-based Lonrho Group bought the newspaper in 1963, only a few months before Kenya's independence. The paper changed its name to the Standard in 1977 but the name East African Standard was revived later. It was sold to Kenyan investors in 1995. In 2004 the name was changed back to The Standard. It is the main rival to Kenya's largest newspaper, the Daily Nation
Daily Nation
The Daily Nation is a Kenyan independent newspaper. It is the most influential newspaper in Kenya with a daily circulation of about 205,000 copies. The total readership is likely to be higher as each copy is read by a large number of people...
. In 1989,at a time when Kenya was going into multi-party era,the Standard Group acquired the KTN Television Channel.
Premises raid, 2006
In late February 2006 The Standard ran a story claiming that president Mwai KibakiMwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
and senior opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka
Kalonzo Musyoka
Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as Vice President of Kenya. Musyoka served in the government under President Daniel arap Moi and was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1993 until 1998; subsequently, under President Mwai Kibaki, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs...
had been holding secret meetings. At 1:00am local time (2200 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
), on March 2, masked gunmen carrying AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
s raided the editorial office of The Standard, and of its television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
KTN. They kicked and beat staff members, forcibly took computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s and transmission equipment, burned all the copies of the March 2nd edition of the newspaper, and damaged the press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
es. At KTN, they shut down its flow of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, putting the station off the air. Initially, the Kenyan information minister claimed no knowledge of the raid, but has since revealed that Kenyan police were responsible, and stated that the incident was to safeguard state security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. "If you rattle a snake you must be prepared to be bitten by it," John Michuki
John Michuki
John Njoroge Michuki was born 1932 at Muguru village, Iyego Location, Kangema Division in Murang’a County. Educated in Kenya and abroad, Michuki has emerged as one of the prominent and long-serving civil servants and politicians as well as a businessman in Kenya...
said. Three journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s at The Standard, arrested after the critical story was printed, were released on March 2 on bail of 50,000 Kenyan shillings (US$692).