How PETER OPONDO’s dalliance with DP RUTO cost him his plum job at Standard Media Group

 

Tuesday, 20 July 2021 – In February this year, veteran journalist Peter Opondo joined Standard Media Group to head the company’s broadcast division.

He was touted as the man who would turn around the company’s dwindling fortunes but barely 5 months after he joined the Moi family-owned media house, he was fired unceremoniously last week.

According to well-placed sources, Opondo, who was the Standard Group’s Strategy and Content Editor before his exit last week, fell out with the top management and principal shareholders over his dalliance with Deputy President William Ruto.

Insiders at Standard Media Group are linking Opondo’s troubles to his connections with Deputy President William Ruto.

Opondo and Ruto have been friends for long.

At some point, he was the Deputy President’s point man at Mediamax Networks when he held substantial shares in the company.

Since joining Standard Media Group, Ruto has been getting more airtime on KTN and KTN news, which rubbed the management the wrong way, given that Ruto is a political rival of Baringo Senator and Presidential hopeful, Gideon Moi, who represents the Moi’s family’s interests in the group as main shareholders.

Before Opondo joined KTN, Ruto had been blacklisted.

The Standard Media Group top managers have in the past sacrificed great journalists at the expense of political interests and Opondo is the latest victim.

The Human Resource Manager told Opondo that he was fired over underperformance but failed to give concrete evidence that he had failed to meet his targets.

Opondo has since confirmed that he was fired unceremoniously last week through an emotional Facebook post and promised to bounce back soon.

He is among the most accomplished journalists in Kenya with an illustrious career spanning 20 years.