County ordered to pay ex-employee Sh1m for defamation

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga during a past ODM rally in Kisumu County. [File, Standard]

Oyugis Law Court has ordered the county government of Homa Bay to pay its former employee, Richard Bonyo, Sh1 million for defaming him.

Bonyo, a former advisor for resource mobilisation in the previous administration of former governor Cyprian Awiiti, complained that Governor Gladys Wanga's government had referred to him as a ghost worker.

He sued the county government after his name featured in a 2024 list of “ghost workers” who were to be removed from the payroll of the county government workers.

 Bonyo was erroneously mentioned as a county staff member who was drawing salaries without offering services.

He filed a case in the court saying that inclusion of his name had injured his reputation.

Bonyo told the court that his contract ended on September 1, 2022, when Governor Wanga's administration took over from Awiti's government.

However, in May 2024, Wanga’s administration hired Price Waterhouse Coopers to audit staff to cut the wage bill.

A letter dated May 23, 2024, was sent to chief officers with a list of staff suspected of being ghost workers.

Bonyo said he complained that he could not understand how his name got into the list.

He said publication of his name in the list made it difficult for him to secure jobs.

“I have attended many interviews, but I've been judged with the history of being a ghost worker based on the list,” Bonyo said.

He also sought the removal of his name from the list. The former employee also asked the county government to publicly apologise to him.

Bonyo sought compensation between Sh8 million and Sh10 million for damages.

Former County Director of Human Resources Charles Auma Modi was a witness who testified that Bonyo was a legitimate employee but had exited the job.

Oyugis Resident Magistrate Cynthia Chepkoech Cheruiyot ruled that publication of the list beyond internal use had damaged Bonyo’s reputation.

“The information contained false and malicious allegations that the complainant is a ghost worker of Homa Bay County Government,” Cheruiyot ruled.

She ordered the county government to pay Bonyo Sh1m.

The court also found that the publication caused emotional distress to Bonyo and his family.

The magistrate issued a permanent injunction restraining the county government or its agents from publishing further defamatory information against Bonyo.

The magistrate also ordered the county government to remove Bonyo’s name from the list of ghost workers.