The High Court has issued interim orders stopping the Standard Group Limited from publishing or further circulating allegations connecting President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene Ruto, to the Ksh2.8 billion tender for new Kenya Police Service uniforms.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, September 14, the High Court sitting at the Milimani Law Courts directed that the allegations should not be disseminated further pending additional directions in the case.
Charlene moved to court after the media organisation repeatedly published statements linking her and the President’s family to the procurement of the new police uniforms.
Through her lawyers, the First Daughter argued that the reports had damaged her reputation by portraying her as someone who had unlawfully benefited from government tenders.
The legal action followed a report published by the Mombasa Road-based media house that connected the Ruto family to the police uniform procurement.
President William Ruto had officially unveiled the new sky-blue uniforms for General Duty Officers on Friday, August 28. The change followed recommendations by the Maraga Task Force on Police Reforms, chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.
The task force had consulted police officers as part of its review, with officers reportedly expressing dissatisfaction with the existing uniforms and supporting a change.
A day after the launch, The Standard published a report alleging that the Ksh2.8 billion tender had been awarded to Nalitex Limited, while also linking the company’s address to businesses associated with President Ruto’s family.
The publication further alleged that Charlene Ruto had participated in or benefited from the procurement process.
The National Police Service (NPS), however, rejected the allegations, stating that Nalitex Limited was neither involved in nor awarded the tender and further claiming that the company was non-existent.
Police authorities maintained that the procurement was conducted through competitive bidding and that the process complied with the law.
Following complaints from the Ruto family, Standard Group was directed to take down the disputed information from its online platforms or publish a clear correction addressing the alleged inaccuracies.
The media organisation was also granted seven days to file detailed responses to the court before the case proceeds.
The matter has been scheduled for mention on October 19, 2026.
