Story emerged recently about what the state spent in Mt Kenya Safari Club. Standard Group claimed that more than Ksh 100 million was spent in the one week retreat while State House insisted that it was just Ksh 8.4 million. Standard Group CEO personally penned an apology to State House. Before the apology, 3 people were summoned to State House.They were Chacha Mwita, Irene Kimani (Group Commercial Director) and Enock Wambua (Managing Editor – Sunday Standard). A day before the story came out (Thursday 13th March), Standard Group Commercial Director Irene Kimani was in State House pushing some advertising deals worth Ksh 30 million. State House was angry that people who wanted business were writing negativ articles about them. Hence the quick summon and clarification and no checking of facts on Saturday 15th March. That is why Irene Kimani had to be part of the team summoned to State House on Friday for some private clarification after the story broke out. It is weird that Standard wholly bought the State House story without getting to verify facts even if Mt Kenya Fairmont was just there to rubber-stamp the State House theory. The Ksh 8.4 million quoted by State House and taken as gospel truth by standard is just laughable considering the Presidential entourage and market rate. Just laughable. But it didn’t end with the apology. Standard Group CEO, Sam Shollei has this morning (18th March) asked Chacha Mwita (SG Editorial Director), Kipkoech Tanui and Mark Kapchanga (Journalist who covered the story) to resign saying that State House is refusing to give them business because of the story. So Standard Group is effectively sacking the journalists for being journalists. Enock Wambua was spared because he is a good friend of Manoah Esipisu and he is also the ME of Sunday. All the stories, original and clarification, have been removed from the Standard Online pages. Even the Sam Shollei apology is missing from the pages.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 09:35:47 +0000
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