President William Ruto and The Standard Media Group engaged in a public exchange on social media on Wednesday after the newspaper responded to the President’s criticism with a tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign.
The exchange began on June 24, 2026, when President Ruto took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and criticised KANU Chairman Gideon Moi, whose family holds a major stake in Standard Group.
For weeks, The Standard had published a series of stories critical of the Kenya Kwanza administration, including a KTN News feature titled “The Gallery of Ruto’s Lies” and several front-page headlines questioning the government’s performance.
In his post, President Ruto accused the media house of using its coverage to pressure his administration.
“GMoi, your STANDARD media’s 5 days a week EXTORTIONIST propaganda HEADLINES on me & my administration’s transformative track record will get you NOTHING & NOWHERE. BLACKMAIL to yield to your GREED? NEVER. Kenya belongs to all Kenyans, not you alone. Jaribu 8 days a week. Do your WORST,” the President wrote.
Instead of issuing a formal statement, The Standard responded with a series of promotional graphics built around the President’s remarks.
One of the graphics read: “Due to overwhelming demand, we are printing The Standard 8 days a week! To meet your demand.” Another carried the message: “Even the President reads The Standard,” alongside a screenshot of the President’s X post.
The newspaper also shared the campaign on its official social media platforms with the caption: “Read The Standard 8 days a week!”
The response quickly drew attention online, with many social media users commenting on the exchange between the President and the media house.
The campaign turned the President’s “eight days a week” remark into a marketing message, with The Standard using the phrase to promote its newspaper and digital platforms.
The exchange comes amid continued public debate over media freedom, political criticism and the role of the press in holding leaders to account.
While President Ruto criticised The Standard’s coverage, the newspaper chose to respond through a light-hearted advertising campaign that repurposed the President’s own words.
