Why the President Summoned Top Management at Standard Newspaper

Standard Media Group and the publishers of the standard Newspaper were late this week summoned to appear in statehouse over undisclosed agenda. The abrupt meeting that shocked top management of the media house was prompted by the standard Newspaper’s exclusive coverage of the one week luxury vocation that the president led himself. The vocation that led to a wastage of Ksh. 100 million of tax payers money  has come at a time when the country is grappling with high wage bill that has threatened a pay cut of civil servants by 20 percent and looming retrenchment drive that will render thousands of Kenyans jobless if the government make good of its threats.

In what appears as an agreement between the top management group and the president, standard Newspaper yesterday downplayed the claims and apologized to the government over remarks that have raised more questions over who is telling the truth at the same time damaging the reputation of the government.

It appears that was not the only thing that offended the president. KTN is also to run an exclusive investigative feature that will expose the fraudulent win of the 2013 general elections that was upheld by high court. A decision that didn’t go well with CORD leaders in as much they were forced to accept the result and move on.  Mark Kaplang, a journalist at Standard grouped criticized   the president and his inner circle of advisers for spending such a huge chunk of money at a time when our fellow citizens are going without food.
The standard Newspaper captures the devastating details accusing the president, his deputy, cabinet members, principal secretaries and top aides, and retinue of advisors, security and other support staff such as drivers and even clerical for spending four nights instead of the agreed two nights that threw the bill out of the window. Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari club is ranked amongst the most expensive hotel with world class facilities. According to Hospitality analysis, the hotel is rated as one of the most expensive in Africa where a single night is charged ksh.51050. Amount that the president and his deputy spent on their four days stay at the facility while the rest spent close to 45,000 amongst other charges. This is the same amount that was used by security and aides believed to have taken adjacent rooms for security concerns. What infuriated the writer was a fact that the government had quoted 8.4 million as the total amount spent at the luxury hotel.
In the informative peace, other cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries spent the nights in Garden suite, Mawingu suite, Raymond Hook suite, Deluxe view Room, River Deluxe and Deluxe Room that cost sh. 33,688 and sh. 25,050

From logical mathematics, the costs may have run close to sh. 65 million.

If this figure stands as the actual amount used by our leaders, then we have a government that is only concern about their issues and give no priority to issues that need immediate attention such as security, hunger and unemployment. There is no point of civil servants taking a pay cut while there exists many taps that continue drain the savings of this country.  

By Reagan Nyadimo