President William Ruto has publicly accused Standard Media Group owner Gideon Moi of using negative media coverage as a tool to pressure and intimidate his administration.

In a strongly worded post shared on his official X account on June 24, the President claimed that the media house had consistently published critical headlines about his government in an effort to force concessions from his administration.

Ruto alleged that Standard Media's frequent negative reporting on his leadership and development agenda amounted to an attempt at extortion. Addressing Gideon Moi directly, he insisted that such coverage would not influence government decisions or secure any special treatment.

The President further stated that Kenya belongs to all citizens and not to any individual, maintaining that he would not bow to what he described as greed-driven pressure. He also challenged his critics to continue scrutinising his administration, saying such efforts would not succeed in blackmailing him.

The remarks quickly sparked debate online, with some Kenyans questioning whether the President personally authored the post due to its unusually aggressive tone. Others criticised the message as unbecoming of a Head of State, pointing to its informal language, punctuation, and style.

Ruto's comments represent one of his strongest public criticisms of a major media organisation since taking office in September 2022.

In recent months, Standard Media Group has run a number of reports examining government policies, public spending, taxation, governance concerns, and allegations of corruption involving public officials. The media house has also highlighted the President's travel schedule and expenditure within key offices of government.

Additionally, KTN News has been airing a segment titled "The Gallery of Ruto's Lies," which focuses on unfulfilled campaign promises and stalled development projects under the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Several leaders allied to President Ruto have previously accused sections of the media of unfairly portraying the government's performance.