A Homa Bay county employee has been charged with assault and causing bodily harm to a local journalist.
According to a statement released by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Homa Bay County Human Resource Manager Beatrice Mercy Akugo was charged at the Homa Bay Law Court with assaulting People Daily reporter Habil Onyang'o Oloo.
The charges were filed on September 16, 2025, with the court hearing that the accused committed the offense on September 14, 2025, at Lake Front in Homa Bay Sub-County.
Akugo pleaded not guilty to the charges before Chief Magistrate Jacinta Orwa.
She was released on a Ksh 30,000 bond with a surety of the same amount, with an alternative cash bail option of Ksh 20,000. The case has been scheduled for mention on September 30, 2025.
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The charges stem from an incident involving journalist Habil Onyango, who had been recovering from injuries sustained during what he described as a brutal attack by known assailants in Homa Bay County.
The assault occurred following his publication of an investigative report that allegedly exposed corrupt practices within the county government.
Onyango's investigative piece, published on Friday, detailed allegations that a county employee was involved in taking bribes and facilitating unauthorized employment through the use of fraudulent documentation.
The story reportedly revealed how individuals were obtaining fake appointment letters from the County Department's Public Service Board and the County Secretary's office, enabling illegal recruitment practices within the county administration.
According to the journalist's account of the attack, his assailants had specific demands related to his corruption exposé. The attackers reportedly insisted that he immediately publish a retraction apologizing for claims made about a woman featured in his investigative story.
"They ordered me to make an apology immediately, to write a story apologizing that the lady was not involved in such a case," Onyango had explained following the incident. "But I told them, such a story cannot run immediately."
The journalist was allegedly abducted and subjected to physical assault before being released. He subsequently sought medical attention for injuries sustained during the ordeal.
The attack on Onyango prompted strong condemnation from media professionals in the region. The Union of Journalists in Homa Bay County issued statements calling for immediate intervention by security agencies and demanding protection for media practitioners operating in the area.
"We really want to appeal to the security agencies to ensure that these known goons are arrested, prosecuted, and also, let's ensure that the lives of journalists in Homa Bay are really protected," a union representative had stated. "The Constitution of the Republic of Kenya is very clear on the responsibilities and the role of the media, and we will not be cowed."
