Standard Group CEO Sam Shollei says the paper has been launched to capture and explore the Nairobi landscape and its related activities.
“We are delighted to be launching this newest innovation as yet another step by Standard Group into the vanguard of informing and entertaining Kenya everywhere,” said Shollei, as the first edition of the city’s new newspaper rolled off the printing press.
The newspaper, he said, will tell the stories of Nairobi in a detailed approach so that residents can understand their city. “Residents of Nairobi will be curious to be associated with the new publication,” he added.
Speaking to The Standard, the newspaper’s Editor Charles Otieno described the new paper as “the cool side of cool”.
He explained that Nairobi is urbanising rapidly and being the leading African city, had its own unique needs that will be addressed comprehensively by the weekly paper.
“Nairobi is emerging as the New York of Africa, rich, diverse, fast and more cosmopolitan than any other city between the Kalahari and the Sahara regions,” said Otieno.
Different perspectives
“Our newspaper represents a first in capturing the essence of what it means to be a child of this city — already identified as one of the top 10 cities of the next decade.”
The 48-page newspaper, selling for Sh35 every Friday, is information rich and built to help city’s dwellers in every walk of life.
Combining hard news with entertainment and human interests’ features, the weekly newspaper covers the broad spectrum of life in the city with the Nairobian at the centre of it all. The newspaper has created an online forum under the Standard Digital platform and on social media.
The new paper’s launch comes only three days to Kenya’s historic March 4 General Election, and will seek to offer different perspectives targeted at Nairobi residents. “Ours is not a political paper,” said Otieno. “It is the voice of our times, and the voice of our city.”
Other publications by the Standard Group include The Standard, The County Weekly and leading television broadcaster KTN.
Leading in innovation
It also operates Radio Maisha, outdoor advertising services firm Think Outdoor and distributes foreign newspaper and magazine titles under its Publishers Distribution Services arm. The media house is one of the leading in innovation, having recently unveiled Kenya’s first English sports paper, Game Yetu, in order to meet the needs of sports lovers in the country. -The Standard
