Aroko freed on cash bail, barred from Homa Bay

Homa Bay businessman and politician Philip Nahashon Aroko at JKIA courts. May 9, 2025. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Businessman linked to the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong'ondo Were has been freed on a Sh300,000 cash bail.

Nahashon Aroko was today freed by JKIA Magistrate Irene Gichobi, who directed the suspect to deposit his passport and provide contact persons.

Aroko has been barred from contacting any witnesses or respondents in the case involving the murder of the late MP.

Aroko has also been dealt a blow and barred from travelling to Homa Bay County, and directed to report to the IO every two days at Nairobi Area to furnish investigators with information or evidence.

The case is to be mentioned on June 3.

Aroko had on Wednesday May 9, 2025 surrendered to Gigiri police station after being summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to answer questions related to Were's murder.

Detectives had requested to hold him in custody for 30 days, saying he might interfere with the probe.

In an affidavit, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations told the court that Aroko had been implicated in the planning of the MP who was shot around City Mortuary on May 2, 2025.

The investigators stated that Aroko is believed to be the organiser and the financier of the deceased's murder, noting that there is need to have officials from the financial intelligence bureau to guide in pursuing financial angle to the commission of the offence.

"It has been established that the respondent has shown interest in Kasipul Constituency parliamentary seat where the deceased was the MP before he was murdered and had threatened the deceased before the fatal incident," they stated.

But JKIA court's Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi only allowed them to detain the businessman for seven days as they conducted investigations.