Philip Aroko Responds After Arrest Warrant Issued by DCI Over MP Were’s Assassination
Philip Nahashon Aroko, a political figure from Homa Bay County, has responded publicly after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) declared him a wanted person in connection with the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament, Charles Ong’ondo Were.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday outside the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road, Aroko confirmed he had honored the police summons, hours after the DCI named him as a person of interest in the ongoing investigation into last week’s fatal shooting of the late MP.
“The situation that we are in is very unfortunate,” Aroko told reporters. “I want to leave the police to do their job. They summoned me to come, and I am here.”
Aroko accused Homa Bay County Governor Gladys Wanga, also the chairperson of the ODM Party, of pressuring security agencies to target him. He claimed the governor had made calls to police officers pushing for his summons.
“I saw the governor pushing so much for me to be called here,” he said. “She is making calls to the police for me to be called. The politics in that county has been turned into madness. It is not politics — it is thuggery.”
Aroko also alleged that the county government harbors individuals involved in intimidation, torture, and murder, though he did not provide evidence to support these claims.
Earlier, the DCI had posted an alert on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
WANTED FOR MURDER
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations requests Philip Nahashon Aroko to surrender immediately to the nearest police station. He is a person of interest in the ongoing investigation into the brutal murder of Hon. Charles Ong’ondo Were. Compliance with this request is mandatory.
We also appeal to anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact the nearest police station or use our toll-free numbers: 999, 112, or #FichuaKwaDCI (0800 722 203). All information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.”
The murder of MP Were has sent shockwaves through the political landscape in Homa Bay County and beyond. Police have yet to release details of the motive or suspects beyond Aroko’s status as a person of interest.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Aroko had not been placed under arrest, and investigations are ongoing.
