According to MCK, the attack was allegedly orchestrated by a senior Human Resource Officer in the Homa Bay County Government in retaliation for Onyango’s investigative reporting on a fraudulent employment scandal.
The journalist was lured to a hotel, ambushed, and assaulted by thugs, allegedly under the official’s direction. He sustained facial injuries, was forced to inhale bhang, abducted, and humiliated. His devices were confiscated, data deleted, and a fake apology posted online in an attempt to discredit him. Onyango later managed to escape on a passing bodaboda motorcycle. A doctor at Homa Bay County Hospital confirmed soft tissue injuries, although Onyango declined medication.
The incident, which was reported at Homa Bay Police Station (OB 25/14/25), involves serious crimes including assault, abduction, and property interference. MCK has urged that the matter should not be treated as routine but instead investigated urgently and thoroughly.
Onyango’s exposé, published on westerninsight.co.ke, revealed how Homa Bay residents were being swindled through fake job recruitment schemes. MCK noted that violence against journalists undermines truth and public accountability, stressing that aggrieved parties should seek redress through the Media Complaints Commission rather than resort to thuggery.
“Kenya’s Constitution (Article 34) and international covenants, such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, guarantee media freedom. Such attacks signal a dangerous erosion of democratic values and must be condemned by all,” MCK said in a statement.
The Council has called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to launch transparent investigations and ensure the perpetrators, who are known to Onyango, face arrest and prosecution. It also urged the National Police Service to recover the journalist’s devices and guarantee his safety.
In response to the allegations, the Homa Bay County Government announced the interdiction of Ms Beatrice Mercy Akuogo, a Human Resource Officer in the Department of Roads, Transport, and Public Works, effective immediately. She has been named as the official allegedly behind the attack.
“This decision follows grave accusations that Ms Akuogo is facing allegations of involvement in the abduction, assault, and intimidation of a journalist,” the county government said in a statement. MCK reiterated its unwavering commitment to defend media freedom and protect journalists, insisting that no voice will be silenced and that the truth will always prevail.
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