In the cutthroat world of Kenyan politics, where alliances shift like sand dunes, the media should stand as a beacon of truth and impartiality. Yet, recent coverage by The Standard newspaper on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale reeks of sensationalism, transforming what could be legitimate scrutiny into a blatant character assassination.
Headlines like “Aden Duale: Ruto’s Untouchable” and “Calls Mount on CS Duale to Resign Over SHA Scam” paint Duale as an untouchable villain at the heart of a multibillion-shilling fraud in the Social Health Authority (SHA).
These stories, splashed across front pages in August 2025, amplify allegations of ghost hospitals, inflated claims, and personal conflicts of interest, positioning Duale as the architect of a collapsing health system. But scratch beneath the surface, and it becomes clear: this isn’t journalism; it’s a vendetta dressed in ink.
The SHA scandal, involving rejected claims worth Sh10 billion and unpaid debts ballooning to Sh75 billion, is undoubtedly a crisis demanding accountability. Duale himself has acknowledged the fraud, suspending facilities and vowing prosecutions.
Yet The Standard’s reporting escalates this into a personal crusade, accusing Duale of “overstepping his mandate” and linking him to dubious companies without concrete evidence. One article even dubs him “Ruto’s untouchable,” implying presidential protection shields him from fallout, while another highlights pressure from MPs under the Kenya Moja banner demanding his resignation within 48 hours.
Sensational phrases like “beating the drums of war” and “eye of the storm” frame Duale not as a reformer tackling inherited NHIF rot, but as a warmonger in Cabinet. This hyperbolic style distracts from systemic issues—such as rushed SHA implementation and procurement opacity—and reduces complex policy failures to a witch hunt against one man.
What fuels this bias? Look no further than the ownership of The Standard Media Group. The outlet is controlled by the family of the late President Daniel arap Moi, with close associates like Christopher Kulei holding key stakes.
Gideon Moi, son of the former president and a prominent KANU leader, wields significant influence over the group, which includes newspapers, TV, and radio platforms. This isn’t mere coincidence; it’s a conflict of interest writ large.
The Moi family’s longstanding grip on The Standard has turned it into a megaphone for their interests, especially amid financial woes like unpaid staff salaries for months.
Duale himself fired back, accused the paper of “gutter press” tactics and ethnic profiling, urging them to pay employees instead of peddling smears.
The timing of these attacks aligns suspiciously with the escalating political feud between Duale and Gideon Moi. As a staunch ally of President William Ruto, Duale has repeatedly clashed with Gideon, who rides on his father’s legacy while navigating opposition waters.
In early August 2025, Duale launched a blistering assault, daring Gideon to prove his worth in the upcoming Baringo senatorial by-election without relying on the Moi name.He dismissed Gideon as a “man riding solely on the legacy of his late father,” vowing to “teach him a lesson” at the polls.
This isn’t new; back in 2022, Duale branded Gideon a “product of corruption” unfit to lecture on graft. Gideon, in turn, has been accused of subtly undermining Ruto’s allies, including Duale, whose North Eastern roots and Somali heritage make him a convenient target for ethnic undertones in reporting.
The fallout intensified after Duale’s March 2025 appointment to the Health docket, a portfolio central to Ruto’s Universal Health Coverage agenda, positioning him as a threat to entrenched interests.
Media should not be weaponized to settle political scores. When outlets like The Standard, owned by politically connected families, blur the line between news and revenge, they erode public trust and democracy itself. Journalism’s role is to inform, not inflame; to hold power accountable without bias, not amplify vendettas.
By framing Duale’s SHA crackdown as a personal scam while ignoring broader reforms—like absorbing UHC staff or rejecting fraudulent claims—The Standard prioritizes sensational clicks over substantive analysis.
This tactic harms not just Duale, but Kenyans reliant on a functional health system. It also sets a dangerous precedent: if media barons can use their platforms to target rivals, what’s to stop escalation into full-blown propaganda wars?
To sum up, The Standard must reclaim its integrity by divorcing ownership influence from editorial decisions. Gideon Moi and his allies should fight political battles in the arena, not through proxy headlines.
As for Duale, let investigations by bodies like the EACC proceed fairly, without media trials. Kenyan journalism deserves better than to be a pawn in elite feuds—our democracy depends on it.
The writer is the Executive Director of the Horizon Analysts and Researchers Network
