Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has formally lodged a complaint with the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) over reports published and broadcast by KTN and The Standard concerning violence witnessed in Homa Bay on August 16 during the Linda Mwananchi rally.
In a letter seen by Vantage Ke, Wanga accused the Mombasa Road-based media house of publishing and airing what she described as fabricated, unverified, and prejudicial allegations that cast her administration in a negative light.
The Governor took issue with reports broadcast by KTN on Sunday, September 6, and an article published by The Standard on Monday, September 7, arguing that the coverage contained allegations that portrayed her and her administration negatively.
Wanga clarified that her complaint was not intended to prevent legitimate scrutiny of her administration but was based on what she described as the two media houses' failure to independently verify serious claims before publishing them.
"I am writing to formally bring to the attention of the Media Council of Kenya a broadcast aired by KTN on September 6, 2026, and published in the Standard Newspaper on September 7, 2026, concerning the events of August 16, 2026, in Homa Bay. The report made and ventilated fabricated, unverified, and highly prejudicial allegations that directly assailed my character and the integrity of the office I serve," Wanga stated.
"My concern is not with legitimate media scrutiny; I welcome accountability and open public discourse. However, KTN and The Standard severely violated basic journalistic standards by presenting unverified allegations in a manner that creates a false and deliberate impression," she added.
The Governor also challenged the use of a photograph on the front page of The Standard on September 7 showing an armed man wielding a machete.
According to Wanga, the man had been identified as an employee of Siaya County. She argued that his presence at the scene of the Homa Bay violence raised questions about the possible involvement of people from outside the county.
She accused The Standard of using the image in a way that created a misleading impression about those responsible for the violence.
“The presence of a weapon-wielding officer from a neighbouring county at the scene of the conflict in Homa Bay clearly demonstrates that these acts were perpetrated by external agents,” Wanga claimed.
Wanga also accused KTN of failing to give adequate airtime to her administration's response to the allegations despite her office submitting what she described as a clear and substantive response.
The Standard's investigative report examined the chaos witnessed during the Linda Mwananchi rally attended by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other political leaders in Homa Bay.
The investigation detailed an alleged network of financiers and local coordinators accused of organising groups involved in the violence.
Whistleblowers and anonymous sources cited in the report alleged that the groups held coordination meetings ahead of the rally and had been assured of protection while operating within local political and security networks.
Wanga, however, accused the media house of violating journalistic standards on accuracy and fairness, as well as the right of reply and accountability.
In her complaint, the Governor asked the Media Council to assess both the KTN broadcast and The Standard report against the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism.
She further requested the Council to order the two media outlets to issue an immediate and prominent retraction and unconditional apology, while also taking appropriate disciplinary measures.
"I request the Council to exercise its statutory authority to review this broadcast against the Code of Conduct, direct KTN and the Standard Newspaper to issue an immediate, prominent retraction and unconditional apology, and take appropriate disciplinary action. Public discourse on sensitive matters must be anchored in truth and evidence, not speculative character assassination," she said.
