‘Interests’ is a network
Business rivalry hardly translates to bad blood. Even brothers may run competing business. Former President Daniel arap Moi and his protégé Uhuru Kenyatta are ages apart, but in regard to political and business interests, they’re soul mates.
The Kenyatta family owns Mediamax (whose portfolio of products include Kameme FM, Meru FM, Milele FM, Mayian FM, K24, The People newspaper), Daniel arap Moi posseses the rival news corp, The Standard Group, owners of The Standard, Sunday Standard, Nairobian, KTN, Maisha Radio, PDS, among others.
Inexplicably, this logic – business rivalry hardly translates to bad blood – eluded Standard Group news gurus (among them chief executive Sham Shollei and the indefatigable editorial director Chacha Mwita).
State House read the riot Act to Moi’s business employees. It demanded that heads roll on Mombasa Road. And indeed, people were fired – not by Kenya’s second President. But on the strength of the Jubilee government’s demand.
The Standard Group’s owners didn’t complain about meddling.
Jicho Pevu, beware!