The Kasipul parliamentary by-election has plunged into escalating chaos, prompting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to summon leading candidates Boyd Were and Philip Aroko over a spate of deadly violence that now threatens the credibility of the November 27 polls.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon confirmed on Friday, November 14, that formal hearings will begin on Monday, November 17. He warned that depending on the findings, disqualification remains a real possibility.
“We are aware of the incidences of violence in Kasipul. Once we received reports, we sent our investigation team to the ground. They completed their work, and we now have the final report,” Ethekon stated.
The summons come in the wake of a brutal clash on Thursday, November 6, where two supporters were hacked to death with machetes in Opondo, Central Kasipul Ward. Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koilem confirmed that the deceased were 26-year-old supporters of Aroko. Several others were injured, including Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers who were ambushed while pursuing suspects linked to the killings.
The violence has inflamed political tensions, with both camps trading accusations. Boyd Were, son of the late MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, claimed that “hired goons” disrupted his campaign meetings. Aroko, on the other hand, blamed Boyd’s security team for sparking the chaos. The turmoil has also led to the suspension of an assistant chief allegedly linked to a meeting that erupted into violence.
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has also urged IEBC to take decisive action, saying, “If sanity can return to Kasipul with the banning of Aroko and Boyd Were, please do it.”
The by-election itself follows the shocking murder of MP Charles Ong’ondo Were in April 2025, a tragedy that continues to cast a long shadow over the constituency.
With violence rising and political temperatures boiling, the IEBC’s next steps will determine whether Kasipul can hold a peaceful and credible election.
