People Daily journalist Habil Onyango has recounted a harrowing ordeal in which he was abducted and assaulted after publishing a story on alleged irregular hiring at the Homa Bay County Government Public Service.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Onyango said his troubles began soon after his article was published, detailing how fake appointment letters were being issued within the county administration.
“They are being given fake letters from the county government’s public service board and the county secretary,” Onyango said. “The story was published in The People Daily on Friday, but I did not know that someone who was mentioned in this story was around.”
He narrated that he was accosted by individuals he described as hired goons, who demanded that he retract the story and publish an apology clearing the employee mentioned in the piece.
“They ordered me to make an apology immediately, to write a story saying the lady was not involved in the case,” Onyango recalled. “But I told them such a story cannot run immediately.”
The attack drew condemnation from fellow journalists in Homa Bay, who rallied behind Onyango and called for swift investigations. Representatives from the Kenya Union of Journalists urged authorities to take action against the perpetrators and guarantee the safety of media workers in the region.
“We want to appeal to the security agencies to ensure that these known goons are apprehended and prosecuted,” one representative said. “Let’s also ensure that the lives of journalists in Homa Bay are protected. The Constitution of the Republic of Kenya is very clear on the role of the media, and we will not be cowed.”
Another union member urged Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga to take decisive action against the county official implicated in the scandal.
“We want to ask Her Excellency the Governor to rein in this terror. The employee in question is known to us. If goons can be hired to attack a journalist, then action must be taken against her by the Governor,” the official said.
The incident has reignited scrutiny of Homa Bay County’s employment practices. In 2019, a payroll and personnel census audit exposed the presence of more than 1,780 ghost workers on the county’s payroll.
