The Homa Bay County government has been directed by the courts to compensate its former employee, Richard Bonyo, with Sh1 million for defamation.
Bonyo, who served as an advisor on resource mobilisation under the previous administration of former Governor Cyprian Awiti, was erroneously included in a 2024 list of "ghost workers"—individuals allegedly drawing salaries without providing services.
His name appeared in a document circulated by the current administration led by Governor Gladys Wanga, which aimed to identify and remove ghost workers from the county payroll. Bonyo’s contract had officially ended on September 1, 2022, before the list was compiled.
Following the publication, Bonyo reported difficulty securing employment, attributing this to the stigma of being labeled a ghost worker. He filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for reputational harm, removal of his name from the list, and a public apology.
During the court proceedings, former County Director of Human Resources Charles Auma Modi testified that Bonyo was a legitimate employee who had exited the county service properly.
Resident Magistrate Cynthia Chepkoech Cheruiyot ruled that the public disclosure of Bonyo’s name caused significant emotional distress and harmed his reputation. She described the allegations as false and malicious.
The court issued a permanent injunction preventing the county government or its agents from publishing further defamatory material about Bonyo and ordered the removal of his name from the ghost worker list.
