Gladys Wanga files media complaint over Homa Bay violence reports

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has filed a formal complaint with the Media Council of Kenya against KTN and The Standard. The complaint alleges that the media outlets published defamatory and unverified reports regarding violence that occurred in Homa Bay on August 16, 2026.

Wanga claims that a KTN broadcast on September 6 and a subsequent report in The Standard on September 7 created a false impression of her character and the integrity of her office. She specifically challenged a front-page photograph of an armed individual, identifying the man as Nicholas Odhiambo Onyando, a revenue officer from Siaya County, rather than a member of her administration.

The Governor argued that the presence of an armed official from a neighboring county suggests external involvement in the conflict. She further accused KTN of failing to provide her office with an adequate right of reply, thereby violating basic journalistic standards and the Media Council Act.