State cancels adverts to Standard Media as court set to rule on ad monopoly case

The government has cancelled adverts to Standard Media Group for the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) media campaign.

 In a statement on March 14, the Ministry of ICT directed the State Department for Irrigation to engage The Star, Cape Media and Nation Media Group instead, alongside the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).

The ministry referenced an earlier approval that included Standard Media Group but stated that its inclusion had been revoked following administrative advice.

Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Edward Kisiang’ani issued the directive through a letter signed by Michael Okidi on his behalf.

“Please proceed to engage The Star, Cape Media and Nation Media Group for the campaign, besides KBC,” said Kisiang’ani.

The ministry instructed the State Department for Irrigation to share copies of signed space orders with the Government Advertising Agency (GAA) for compliance monitoring.

The decision comes amid an ongoing legal battle over the government’s policy on advertising.

The  High Court in Nairobi postponed a ruling on whether the government’s decision to monopolise advertisements is legal.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi said he will deliver the landmark judgment on March 21, 2025, after initially setting February 6 as the ruling date. The judgment was expected last Thursday but was not delivered.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has challenged the government’s directive to limit state advertisements to select media houses.

The Kenya Kwanza government had instructed state agencies not to advertise in three major newspapers—The Standard Group PLC (SG), Nation Media Group (NMG) and People Daily—choosing instead to publish the My.Gov pull-out exclusively in The Star.

The contract was issued to Convergence Africa Media Limited.

In court, LSK argued that The Star has limited circulation outside Nairobi, restricting access to crucial government information, including job vacancies and tenders.

“Because of restriction now imposed in the publication, printing and distribution of My.Gov publication, many Kenyans and consumers of government information who reside outside Nairobi run the real risk of losing out on crucial information which is published on My.Gov publication pull-out,” said LSK lawyer Peter Wanjiku.

 Last year, the government withdrew advertisements from independent radio and television stations, directing that all state adverts be placed exclusively on KBC.

Before that, ministries and parastatals were instructed to only advertise in MyGov, which is circulated solely by The Star newspaper.