Edwin Sifuna Blasts Standard Group for Targeting Raila Odinga in Newspaper Headlines
- The Standard newspaper's front page on Monday, May 5, seems to have irked the leadership of the ODM party after it painted Raila Odinga in a supposedly bad light
- The newspaper highlighted how Raila had leveraged his influence to have his kin onboarded into government posts
- ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna called out the media house for pursuing a gainful smear campaign against Raila and his family
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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) secretary general Edwin Sifuna has sought to shield Raila Odinga and his family against a supposed smear campaign by a section of the media.
Source: Twitter
He released a strongly worded statement with the ODM party's official letterhead, taking on the Standard Media Group over the latter's publication targeting the Odinga family.
How did The Standard go after Odinga family?
Sifuna seemed to have taken offence at the front headline of The Standard newspaper published on Monday, May 5.
The contents of the front page suggested that Raila had leveraged his influence to have his kin onboarded to the government.
The publication seemed to suggest that Raila rode on the Gen Zs' revolution last year to gain his way into the government he had previously opposed.
The front page read "Our turn to eat", while bearing Raila's portrait and insets of his kin believed to be benefiting from the current regime.
In his statement, Sifuna argued that the newspaper was malicious in its contents and was getting out of hand with it.
"For some time now, the Standard Newspapers has pursued a campaign of demonising and tarnishing the person, career, standing and legacy of Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, Leader of the Orange Democratic Movement. ODM has particularly taken note of the paper's lead story in the Monday, May 5, 2025 edition, which was not only misleading but also packed with lies, malice, mischief, and a clear vendetta against the Odinga family," read Sifuna's statement.
According to Sifuna, the narrative run by The Standard against Raila was aimed at boxing the latter to reconsider his current political position and rally behind the opposition.
Raila became lenient to President William Ruto's administration after they realised a truce beginning in 2024.
Sifuna said that the people The Standard claims hold positions because of their closeness with Raila are indeed rightfully there, both in right and qualification.
Source: Twitter
Among them, as highlighted by The Standard, are Siaya senator Oburu Odinga, Winnie Odinga, who was elected EALA MP in 2022, and Jaoko Oburu, whom the president appointed as his advisor.
Sifuna wondered why the newspaper would indicate the virtues through which the select members of the Odinga family hold their current posts, and then go ahead to insinuate they were favoured.
"The article rightly acknowledged that Raila Odinga currently holds no government office. It also correctly stated that Oburu Oginga is an elected Senator, and Winnie Odinga is a duly elected member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), a position that requires nomination and election by the National Assembly," Sifuna's statement read.
He declared that Raila and his kin are Kenyans and are entitled to any post they qualify for, either elective or appointive.
"The unmistakable insinuation in The Standard's narrative is that anyone bearing the Odinga name has no place in Kenya's public life whether in elective, appointive, or even voluntary service. This toxic sentiment is not new. It was institutionalised under the regimes of Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi. The sad reality is that the owners and editorial decision-makers at The Standard appear committed to resurrecting and entrenching this discriminatory and retrogressive doctrine for current and future administrations.
The Party stands in support of every Kenyan holding an appointive or elective position, regardless of family or region of origin, the Odingas included," Sifuna said.
This would not be the first instance in which The Standard is involved in a scuffle with those in authority.
How state house reprimanded The Standard
In March this year, the publication had a run-in with State House Nairobi when it ran a story suggesting that Ruto's tour of Mt Kenya was mobilised by members of the Mungiki sect.
The Presidential Communication Service rebutted with a strong statement against the newspaper and its publishers, accusing them of spreading misinformation.
To set the record clear, the state house explained that the president's tour was organised by regional governors in conjunction with government officials.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
