Kenya’s history tells of many names, and among them is Jevanjee – a man whose legacy lasts on thanks to the park at the heart of the Nairobi CBD.
Having immigrated to East Africa as a merchant in 1890, Alibhai Mulla Jevanjee worked his course for the first five years of his time in the colony before he landed a contract to supply labour for the Uganda Railway. This was akin to striking oil and set the entrepreneur on the path to affluence. Over the years, Jevanjee expanded his business empire, venturing into construction, import and export, and manufacturing. On 15th November 1902, he added press to his growing enterprise by setting up the first newspaper in the East Africa Protectorate.
Early Days
The weekly broadsheet was based in Mombasa and registered as The African Standard. It was established to highlight social and governance issues of the region. A particular focus was on the Asian community’s interests. Jevanjee hired W.H. Tiller, an English editor and reporter to oversee all operations, from writing and editing to advertising and circulation. As a one-man team, Tiller singlehandedly built the newspaper’s readership throughout British East Africa and beyond into German East Africa as well as Eastern Congo.
Shortly after its establishment, Tiller published a story criticizing the British Foreign Office in Kenya. Owing to journalistic principles, the colonial office was far from impressed with this news angle and retaliated. Word soon went out that The African Standard was nothing more than a gossip paper. This label damaged its credibility and in turn impacted sales and profits. Following this negative publicity, Jevanjee cut his losses in 1905. He sold the business for 50 pounds to two British businessmen – Maia Anderson and Rudolf Franz Mayer. The paper shifted focus to serve the interests of white settlers, reporting on the news in both the protectorate and in Great Britain.
A Pro-Government Newspaper
British adverts contributed to the paper’s cash flow and circulation rose steadily afterwards, necessitating a rebrand to better suit the new demographic being served. In 1910, it was renamed The East African Standard and became a daily paper. As a final step of this relaunch, the business headquarters were moved from Mombasa to Nairobi.
The publication’s popularity at the time could not be questioned. In fact, on 24th September 1929, when the foundation stone of Kabete Boys Secondary School (present-day Nairobi School) was laid, a copy of the East African Standard was placed underneath it as a measure of good luck. When Africans intensified independence efforts after World War II, The East African Standard lent its support to the government. The strategy was to brand freedom fighters as terrorists that needed to be dealt with.
Post-Independence Rebrand
The season of change was imminent in the dawn of the sixties as Kenya inched towards the age of independence. Once again, the business changed hands after being purchased by Lonrho Group for one million sterling pounds. This took place a few months before Kenya shed its status as a colony in 1963. The perspective of the paper changed to offer a more balanced approach to news reporting.
Then, in 1977, following the collapse of the East African community, the name of the paper changed to The Standard. Subsequent changes would follow – first in 1995 when its name was reverted to The East African Standard, then in 2004 when the business was purchased by Kenyan investors and renamed The Standard. This is the name that’s stuck to this year (2022).
In addition to setting the pace as Kenya’s earliest newspaper, The Standard also cemented its status as one of the biggest media players in the country by pioneering KTN. It became Kenya’s first free-to-air privately-owned television station — in 1990. From a weekly newspaper, The Standard is now a media conglomerate. It has over 20 brands under its umbrella, ranging from traditional to digital media. A legacy that began 120 years ago continues to unfold, withstanding the test of time as one of the largest newspaper brands in the country.
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