High Court Bars Standard Group From Linking Charlene Ruto To KSh 2.8B Police Uniform Tender

The High Court at Milimani has issued interim orders restraining the Standard Media Group from publishing or circulating allegations linking Charlene Ruto, the daughter of President William Ruto, to a KSh 2.8 billion Kenya Police Service uniform procurement contract.

In the ruling delivered on Monday, September 14, 2026, the court restrained the media company from further disseminating the claims pending further directions on the matter.

Reputational Damage and Procurement Clarifications

The legal action followed a series of publications by the media house alleging that the firm awarded the lucrative uniform tender had ties to the First Family, further claiming that Charlene Ruto either participated in or benefitted from the deal.

Through her legal team, Charlene petitioned the court, arguing that the reports were defamatory, unfounded, and deliberately damaged her reputation by portraying her as an illegal beneficiary of public procurement contracts.

The National Police Service had previously issued a public statement refuting the allegations, clarifying that the company named in the reports—Nalitex Limited—was non-existent and had played no role in the process. Police management maintained that the procurement was conducted lawfully through competitive bidding.

Court Directives and Next Steps

In addition to the injunction against future publications, the High Court ordered the Standard Group to remove the contentious articles from its digital platforms or publish a formal retraction correcting the errors.

The media house was granted seven days to file its formal response to the petition. The court scheduled the matter for mention on October 19, 2026, to determine further directions.