Kenya’s Media Under Scrutiny: Allegations, Trust, and the Role of Journalism in a Season of Protest

Byline: Nairobi, Kenya –

As Kenya continues to witness an unprecedented wave of youth-led protests demanding political accountability and economic justice, a parallel crisis is unfolding within the nation’s media landscape. Accusations of bias, corporate collusion, and selective coverage have cast a shadow over once-trusted media houses — notably the Standard Group, which has found itself at the center of a heated debate about the role of journalism in moments of national reckoning.

Mounting Allegations Against the Standard

The Standard Group, one of Kenya’s oldest and most influential media conglomerates, has faced public backlash over perceived editorial bias and allegations of soft-pedaling government criticism during the July 2024 and July 2025 protest cycles. Critics allege that the media house either downplayed the scale of police brutality or omitted significant protest developments from its prime-time coverage — particularly during days when security forces used lethal force to disperse demonstrators.

Social media activists and independent journalists have accused the Standard of engaging in “state-friendly reporting,” with trending hashtags like #MediaBlackoutKE and #ShameOnYouStandard dominating X (formerly Twitter) during the height of the protests. Screenshots circulated online show apparent discrepancies between eyewitness accounts and mainstream headlines, with netizens pointing to selective framing of protestors as “looters” while minimizing the use of force by security agencies.

The Standard has not officially responded to the allegations, but internal sources reportedly told Kenya Today that newsroom staff are “facing increasing pressure from top executives” not to antagonize powerful political and corporate interests.

The Wider Crisis: Erosion of Media Credibility

While the Standard Group is the focal point of recent criticisms, it is not alone. Other major outlets — including Citizen TV, KTN, and Nation Media Group — have all been targets of public skepticism. Protesters have accused them of practicing “gatekeeping journalism,” prioritizing sanitized narratives while marginalizing the voices of Kenya’s youth, civil society, and victims of police violence.

“The media is supposed to be a mirror of society,” said human rights lawyer Martha Waweru. “Instead, what we are seeing is a media that often reflects only the interests of advertisers, shareholders, and the state.”

A 2025 survey by the Kenya Media Council revealed a sharp decline in trust among urban youth: only 38% of respondents between ages 18–30 expressed confidence in mainstream media coverage of political events — down from 61% in 2022. The report cited growing preference for alternative sources like online citizen journalism, community radio, and TikTok influencers.

A Dual Role: Journalism as Watchdog vs. Institution

Kenya’s media has historically played a pivotal role in democratic transitions — from the days of Moi-era repression to the liberalization of the early 2000s. Investigative journalism has unearthed major corruption scandals, challenged electoral fraud, and amplified civil society. Yet in the current climate, observers say media institutions face a dual identity crisis: should they act as watchdogs or stakeholders within a corporate-political ecosystem?

Media ownership in Kenya is highly concentrated, with links to political families and conglomerates. The Standard Group, for instance, has longstanding ties to prominent political figures, including former President Daniel arap Moi’s family. Critics argue that such entanglements create an environment where editorial independence is compromised, especially when newsrooms rely heavily on government advertising through the Government Advertising Agency (GAA).

Emerging Alternatives: The Rise of Citizen Journalism

Amid the public trust deficit, independent journalists and online platforms are filling the information vacuum. Accounts like KOT Media, Africa Uncensored, and Crime Watch Nairobi have gained traction by broadcasting uncensored footage of police crackdowns, protest marches, and hospital scenes — often in real time.

TikTok, Instagram Live, and Telegram groups have become essential tools for on-the-ground reporting. Young Kenyans with smartphones now act as chroniclers of their own struggle, uploading videos, interviews, and testimony that bypass traditional editorial filters.

In one viral clip from the July 7 protests, a 19-year-old livestreamed police throwing tear gas canisters into a church compound where protestors had sought refuge. Mainstream media outlets initially ignored the incident, prompting widespread outrage when the clip gained over 1.5 million views within 48 hours.

A Path Forward: Calls for Accountability and Reform

Civil society organizations, journalism unions, and academic institutions are urging immediate reforms. Key proposals include:

1. Editorial Independence Charters: Public commitments by media houses to insulate newsrooms from corporate and political interference.

2. Media Ombudsman: A strengthened independent regulatory body with power to investigate allegations of media bias and enforce transparency.

3. Youth Inclusion: Greater representation of youth voices in newsroom editorial boards, panels, and reporting teams.

4. Open Data Collaborations: Partnerships with civil society to ensure independent fact-checking and open-source evidence during protest periods.

5. Reviving Public Interest Journalism: Reinvestment in long-form investigations, whistleblower protections, and trauma-informed reporting on violence.

Conclusion: Journalism at a Crossroads — and the Case for New Models

Kenya’s protest movement has not only tested the resilience of its political institutions but also the credibility of its media. In moments of national crisis, journalism should illuminate truth, give voice to the voiceless, and hold power accountable. Yet, as the backlash against the Standard Group and other legacy media outlets reveals, many Kenyans now view the press not as an ally, but as an extension of the status quo.

This erosion of trust has opened the door for alternative platforms — and with it, a chance to reimagine what public-interest journalism can look like in the digital age.

Streamline Feed is one such platform rising from this moment of reckoning. Recognizing the widening gap between corporate newsrooms and everyday citizens, Streamline takes a fundamentally different approach: prioritizing the needs and attention of the public over ad-driven algorithms and sponsored distractions. We have deliberately done away with conventional banner advertising, choosing instead to build an ecosystem that respects user intent, contextual relevance, and civic value.

Where traditional media often interrupts the message to serve the market, Streamline is building a model where the message is the market — a platform designed not just to inform, but to empower, clarify, and connect people around shared challenges and solutions.

In an era when the camera phone can speak louder than a broadcast, and when trust is the most valuable currency in journalism, the future belongs to those willing to listen — not to power, but to people. And to rebuild journalism’s broken covenant with the public, new platforms must lead not with slogans, but with substance.

Streamline Feed intends to do just that.