''The Standard'' is one of the largest newspapers in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

with a 48% market share. It is the oldest newspaper in the country and is owned by The Standard Group, which also runs the

Kenya Television Network Kenya Television Network (KTN) is a Kenyan free-to-air television network that was launched in March 1990 by Jared Kangwana. It is headquartered at Standard Group Centre, Nairobi. It was the first free-to-air privately owned television network ...

(KTN), Radio Maisha, ''The Nairobian'' (a weekly tabloid), KTN News and Standard Digital which is its online platform. The Standard Group is headquartered on Mombasa Road,

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

, having moved from its previous premises at the I&M Bank Tower.

History

The newspaper was established as the ''African Standard'' in 1902 as a weekly by

Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee (1856– 2 May 1936) was an Indian-born Kenyan merchant, politician and philanthropist. He was amongst the first and most influential Indian settlers in Kenya, amassing significant wealth and becoming a leader of Kenya ...

, an immigrant businessman from

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. In 1905 Jeevanjee sold the paper to Maia Anderson and Rudolf Franz Mayer, who changed the name to the ''East African Standard''. It became a daily paper and moved its headquarters from

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

in 1910. At the time the newspaper declared strongly colonialist viewpoints. The British-based

Lonrho Group Lonmin plc, formerly Lonrho plc, was a British producer of platinum group metals operating in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its registered office was in London, and its operational headquarters ...

bought the newspaper in 1963, only a few months before Kenya's independence (they were a colony of Britain). 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 The ''Daily Nation'' is the highest circulation Kenyan independent newspaper with 170,000 copies. History The ''Daily Nation'' was started in the year 1958 as a Swahili language, Swahili weekly called ''Taifa'' by the Englishman Charles Hay ...

''. In 1989, at a time when Kenya was going into multi-party era, the Standard Group acquired the KTN Television Channel. It is the oldest newspaper published in Kenya. The top editors at the Standard Group include Kipkoech Tanui (''The Standard'', Daily Editions) and John Bundotich (Weekend Editions) with Charles Otieno editing ''The Nairobian''. The head of Radio Maisha is Tom Japanni, KTN Managing Editor is Ellen Wanjiru, while Standard Digital Managing Editor is Carole Kimutai.

Premises raid, 2006

In late February 2006 ''The Standard'' ran a story claiming that president

Mwai Kibaki Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013 and is regarded as one of Kenya's founding fathers. He had previously ser ...

and senior opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka had been holding secret meetings. At 1:00 am local time (2200 UTC), on 2 March, masked gunmen carrying

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...

s raided the editorial office of ''The Standard'', and of its television station KTN. They kicked and beat staff members, forcibly took computers and transmission equipment, burned all the copies of the 2 March edition of the newspaper, and damaged the presses. 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 John Njoroge Michuki (1 December 1932 – 21 February 2012) was a Kenyan politician and businessman. He was born at Muguru, village, Iyego Location, Kangema Division in Murang’a District. He was educated in Kenya and abroad. Michuki emerged a ...

said. Three journalists at ''The Standard'', arrested after the critical story was printed, were released on 2 March on bail of 50,000 Kenyan shillings (US$692).

References

External links

*
Standard Digital
also a product of The Standard Group Limited {{DEFAULTSORT:Standard Newspapers published in Kenya Publications established in 1902 1902 establishments in Kenya Mass media in Nairobi