ODM To Take Action After Standard Newspaper Headline Targets Raila's Family
The party's executive Director, Oduor Ong'wen, issued a preliminary statement on Monday, May 5, in response to a newspaper story in today's edition of The Standard
Marvin Chege 
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has revealed that it will issue a comprehensive statement on Tuesday, May 6, detailing guidance on its relationship with the Standard Group Limited.
The party's executive Director, Oduor Ong'wen, issued a preliminary statement on Monday, May 5, in response to a newspaper story in today's edition of The Standard with the headline 'Our Turn to Eat'. The story highlighted that several of Raila Odinga’s relatives had secured senior government appointments following a political agreement between Odinga and President Ruto in March.
The Standard Media Group was accused of orchestrating a smear campaign targeting Odinga and his family, with Ong'wen condemning the campaign, stating that it undermined, discredited, and damaged Odinga’s public image.
ODM offices at Chungwa House in Nairobi. /THE STAR
Ong'wen argued that the news report was inappropriate, particularly in light of the significant personal sacrifices Odinga has made for the country.
"The Orange Democratic Movement has taken note of the sustained smear campaign by The Standard Newspapers against the Party's leader, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, and which has now been extended against his entire family," he stated.
"We note that The Standard is determined to negate, demean, and destroy the known acts of sacrifice, nationalism, and patriotism that Rt. Hon. Odinga has undertaken at great personal risk to himself and his family, for the betterment of this nation."
The newspaper featured a photo of Raila Odinga alongside his brother Oburu Odinga, his daughter Winnie Odinga, and other family members, highlighting their respective positions in government.
The article alleged that, although Raila presents himself as a champion of the people, he has consistently used national crises to advance the interests of himself and his inner circle.
"He has long branded himself as the people's champion, 'Baba' – the voice of the downtrodden. But time and again, Raila Odinga has turned moments of national crisis into personal political capital with rewards for his inner circle. Is this statesmanship or strategic self-interest activism?" it stated.
Standard Group has been a thorn amongst many prominent political circles owing to the newspaper's hard-hitting headlines exposing the soft underbelly of the country's political system.
In mid-April, the High Court issued a temporary order stopping the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) from revoking Standard Group’s broadcasting licences until the matter is heard on May 2, 2025.
This comes after Standard Group filed a petition, arguing that the CA planned to cancel its licence over a Ksh43 million debt. The company claimed it had been following a repayment agreement, raising its monthly payments from Ksh2.5 million to Ksh4 million.
Previously, the CA initiated a process to revoke all the company’s broadcast licenses, citing unsettled regulatory fees, a move that threatened to cripple arguably the core of all operations at Standard Group Limited.
In response, the media company fired back, calling the move a politically driven effort to silence its critical reporting on the Kenya Kwanza government.
