Politician Philip Aroko links MP Were murder summons to political witch-hunt by Governor Wanga

Homa Bay businessman and politician Philip Nahashon Aroko has claimed that his summoning by police over the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were is part of a political scheme led by Governor Gladys Wanga.

Speaking after appearing before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Wednesday night, Aroko accused the governor of manipulating the investigation to frustrate him.

“I saw the Governor pushing so much for me to be called here. She is even making calls to the police for me to be called here to make a statement. She has achieved it now,” said Aroko.

He challenged Wanga to present any evidence linking him to the MP’s murder, insisting that he has no connection to the killing.

Aroko, who was accompanied by his lawyer Danstan Omari, said he had complied with the summons and was prepared to answer any questions from detectives.

“They summoned me to come, and I am here. If anybody has anything that they want to ask me, I’ll be ready to answer,” he said.

He described the political environment in Homa Bay as toxic, claiming that it had gone beyond ordinary rivalry.

“The politics in that county has been turned into madness… it is not politics, it is thuggery. We’re changing the politics from thuggery to civilised politics in that constituency,” Aroko said.

The politician also alleged that individuals responsible for violence in the region were under the county government’s payroll, yet the governor had remained silent about their actions.

“Because those who fight and kill and maim people are employees of the county government of Homa Bay; they’re on her payroll, she has never talked about anything,” he added.

He claimed that the push for his arrest was not just about the investigation, but also tied to his intention to attend the burial of the late MP. “I know the main reason is because of the burial,” he stated.

Lawyer Danstan Omari supported Aroko’s claims, saying his client’s summoning was politically driven and aimed at barring him from participating in the funeral rites.

“We have instructions that the reason why Aroko is being called to appear is to make him not attend the funeral,” said Omari.

He called out what he described as funeral exclusion politics and insisted Aroko had a right to mourn and bury his friend.

“Politics of exclusion during funerals will not survive in this country. Aroko has a right to attend and bury and proceed with the final rituals of the late Sir Charles,” Omari said.

Other Topics To Read

• National
• Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were
• Philip Nahashon Aroko
• Governor Gladys Wanga
• Politician Philip Aroko links MP Were murder summons to political witch-hunt by Governor Wanga
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The lawyer also claimed that there were plans to detain Aroko and possibly charge him, despite a lack of evidence. “Anybody who is scared of his popularity… rumour has it that they want to detain him, charge him for murder and deny him bail,” he said.

He noted that such tactics would not succeed and pointed to previous legal precedents where politicians were elected even while in custody. “The law has been settled, Mheshimiwa Kapondi has been elected when he was in prison serving a jail sentence,” he added.

After the appearance at the DCI headquarters, Aroko was taken to Gigiri Police Station, where he was booked and is set to spend the night.

“We want to confirm that our client Philip Aroko, whom we were with, has been brought to Gigiri Police Station. We have handed over our client to the relevant officers. He is safe and has no problems,” Omari said.

Aroko will face further questioning on Thursday as detectives continue investigations into MP Were’s murder. He maintains his innocence and believes the entire issue is politically motivated, with the governor’s influence playing a key role in his arrest.