Kisumu Journalists Network chairman dies in road accident

By Peter Ochieng

Journalists in Kisumu are mourning one of our own, who died in an accident on Friday morning.

Dickens Wasonga, Star Correspondent in Kisumu was involved in an accident at the Mamboleo fly-over, few metres from Kondele, along the busy Kisumu - Kakamega highway.

At the time of the accident, Wesonga was driving from town to his house in Mamboleo.

He lived alone as his wife who is a police officer was away on duty in Kajiado.

Their two children, a son and a daughter are learners and are away in School.

The body is being preserved at the Kwee Funeral Home within Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOTRH), awaiting postmortem.

ICT and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owalo has proposed to have the body transferred to Agha Khan Hospital mortuary, but that can only be possible after a postmortem and police report are done with.

Dickens Wasonga was one of the veteran journalists in Kisumu and the Nyanza region at large.

In November, 2023, he was elected the third Kisumu Journalists Network (KJN) Chairman, after beating the incumbent, Nation Media Group's Rushdie Oudia.

Before landing at the Star, he worked for the Nyanza Weekly Newspaper, the Standard and Nation in Siaya County.

Wasonga is a native of Sakwa, Siaya County.

KJN deputy chair, NTV camera person Dorine Akinyi Magak said it is a sad day for the journalism fraternity in Kisumu and beyond.

"It is a sad day," she said, while addressing colleagues at the Kwee Funeral Home grounds.

Kisumu City Manager, Michael Abala Wanga said he had known for some time and knew he was a careful driver.

He was with him in his office yesterday "Wasonga was a very responsible driver," he noted.

Kisumu governor Anyang' Nyong'o is among leaders to have shared his condolence messages.

"Mr Wasonga’s death in a ghastly road crash in Mamboleo this morning is devastating and a big blow to the media fraternity in Kenya. It comes just two months after Mr Wasonga was elected as the Chairman of the Kisumu Journalists Network. He was just settling down on the job. Mr Wasonga was a versatile and professional journalist. He is known for writing investigative, balanced and informative stories," he said.

Investigations into the course of the accident are ongoing.