A Migori-based journalist is recuperating at Homa Bay County Referral Hospital in critical condition after he was attacked by unknown assailants on Thursday.
Linus Ombima, a broadcasting journalist at Radio Rameny FM is reported to have been attacked by three unidentified people at around 8.30pm.
Ombima had just covered 20 meters from his house towards the radio station’s premises to read the 9pm bulletin.
Speaking to KNA at the Homa Bay Teaching and Referral hospital, the Director for Rameny radio Paul Odhiambo said the journalist was attacked by three people who beat him leaving with serious injuries on his body.
Odhiambo said that he received a call from one of the presenters who was in studio at the time, asking him the whereabouts of the victim, as he was supposed to present news at 9:00 pm, yet he had not shown up and it was almost the top of the hour.
“That is when I called his wife and she told me that Ombima had been attacked and that she was heading to the scene of the crime. She urged me to hurry up with a vehicle so that he could be taken to hospital,” he added.
The director explained that on reaching the scene, they found the victim with serious injuries. He had been cut on his head twice, stabbed on the cheek, while one of his left hand fingers was chopped off using sharp object.
“We took him to Rongo sub county hospital where he was referred to Homa Bay county teaching and referral hospital,” he said
According to Ombima, he had never seen those people before saying that they pretended to be walking in hurry which made him to think they were trying to beat the curfew hour.
He explained that after they passed each other they attacked him from behind with pangas.
Ombima said that the attackers never talked to him throughout the violence, noting that he did not know why they had attacked him.
The rogues also took away his phone and pulled him where there were safari ants to continue harming him and probably complete since their evil mission.
A number of journalists have come out to condemn the barbaric act, while urging police to hasten their investigations and bring the criminals to book.
Confirming the incident Friday, Rongo sub county police commander Peter Okring assured family members that they had launched investigations into the matter.
By Dan Oduor/Davis Langat 2 Attachments
