An interdicted Homa Bay County employee, Beatrice Mercy Akugo, has been charged with assault and causing actual bodily harm, following an attack on People Daily reporter Habil Onyang’o Oloo.
The incident occurred on September 14, 2025, at Lake Front in Homa Bay Sub-County, where Akugo, alongside others not before the court, allegedly assaulted Oloo while he was on duty.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Jacinta Orwa at the Homa Bay Law Courts, Akugo denied the charges.
She was released on a Ksh 30,000 bond with a surety of the same amount or an alternative cash bail of KSh 20,000. A pre-trial conference is set for September 30, 2025.
According to the charge sheet, Oloo sustained injuries during the attack. Prosecutors emphasized that the assault happened while he was performing his journalistic duties, a matter still under investigation as police pursue other suspects.
Defense lawyer Agure Odero urged the court to disregard widely circulated claims of kidnapping, clarifying that Akugo is only facing assault charges.
The case has sparked concern among media practitioners in Homa Bay, who have raised alarms over increasing threats to journalists.
