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September 17, 2025 – Kenya –
Habil Onyango, a reporter with People Daily, was abducted, severely assaulted, and had his belongings damaged after publishing an article exposing alleged fraud in hiring practices at the Homa Bay County Public Service. The journalist says the sequence of events began after the story revealed that a county employee was receiving letters falsely purporting to come from the county public service board. Those letters were part of what Onyang o calls an irregular hiring scheme.
According to Onyango’s account, goons allegedly hired by a senior Human Resources (HR) officer in Homa Bay County forced him to visit a hotel under pretenses. Once there, he was ambushed, physically assaulted—including facial injuries inflicted—and coerced to retract his investigative piece and issue a public apology. He refused. His equipment was seized and his data deleted.
Both the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the Media Council of Kenya have condemned the attack. The KUJ has called the assault “a heinous act” against press freedom and demanded the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, including the county HR official implicated in hiring the goons. The Media Council described the abduction, assault, and interference with property as “serious crimes” and urged law enforcement to act swiftly.
In response to the backlash, the Homa Bay County Government dismissed the HR officer involved in the Department of Roads, Transport, and Public Works. However, Onyango says this is not enough. He has appealed for broader protective measures for journalists, including stronger enforcement of press freedom statutes and a full investigation to hold all actors accountable.
Onyango’s ordeal underscores the risks faced by journalists in Kenya who take on corruption and abuse of power. As public discourse grows around the need to protect the press, Onyango’s case has become emblematic of both the threats to press freedom and the urgent demands for accountability in places where power may be misused.
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