On Tuesday, May 27, Standard Group sent out an erroneous news alert purporting that Joseph Irungu, also known as Jowie, convicted of killing businesswoman Monica Kimani, had been freed.
This is after President William Ruto released 57 inmates while exercising his constitutional right of prerogative of mercy. Among those released was Joseph Irungu Maina, a name close to Jowie’s Joseph Kuria Irungu.
The name confusion led to the Standard Group sharing the erroneous news on social media. The posts have since been deleted.
However, the Head of Creative Economy at the Office of the President, Dennis Itumbi, did not take the media house’s error lightly, labeling it the official dispenser of false news.
He regretted that the misleading information regarding such a sensitive matter was meant to hoodwink the public.
It is worth noting that capital offenders are exempt from being released on presidential mercy.
