The Standard's Blunder Misleads Man With Plum Uhuru Appointment

What would you do if you woke up one day and found your name and face plastered on the cover of a leading newspaper, claiming that President Uhuru Kenyatta had nominated you for a top government Job?

That was the dilemma one Kenyan found himself in on Wednesday, January 15, after The Standard published his face alongside a name, Enosh Momanyi Onyango, which he shares with somebody else.

The paper had claimed that the youthful Momanyi had been selected as the incoming principal secretary in charge of physical planning.

Seemingly overjoyed by the news, he prepared an acceptance speech and videotaped himself thanking the president for the job consideration, a video that has since gone viral on social media.

Enosh Momanyi Onyango (left) was the one nominated as Physical Planning PS but The Standard published the image of his namesake on Wednesday, January 15.

In his speech, he thanked Uhuru for ensuring that the youth were well represented in his government and looked forward to serving the people of Kenya.

"Good evening fellow Kenyans, my name is Enosh Momanyi, I am 29 years old from Webuye West Constituency, Bungoma County. Today has been a good day waking up in the morning to calls and texts from people I know and those I don't know congratulating me for my appointment by the president to the position of the PS for Physical Planning.

"Actually I learned this through The Standard newspaper dated January 15, 2020, over the aforementioned appointment, I wish to thank his excellency for believing in youth," stated Momanyi.

"My desire is to align my responsibilities with Uhuru's Big 4 Agenda. As I conclude, I also wish to thank all Kenyans and I look forward to being a servant to all of you. Thank you," he added.

After realising the grave confusion, The Standard published an apology and shared the image of the correct Momanyi who was appointed by the president. 

"Mr Enosh Momanyi Onyango (left) has been nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta as Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Physical Planning.

"In yesterday’s edition of The Standard, we erroneously published the picture of his namesake (right) as the nominee. We regret the error," posted the publication online.