Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has denied any involvement in the ongoing investigation into the death of Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were. Speaking at Kabunde Airstrip on May 8, 2025, ahead of the funeral procession for the slain MP, Wanga distanced herself from the probe, stressing that she was focused on ensuring the late MP received a dignified sendoff.
“We have seen the investigations going on, and we want to just say that we allow the investigative agencies to conclude their investigations,” Wanga said. “I have no role in the investigations. Let us leave investigations to the relevant agencies, and we appreciate the progress that has been made so far.”
The Governor further called for peace and calm among the residents of Homa Bay during the funeral at Agoro Sare Primary School, where Were will be laid to rest. She expressed her gratitude to the people of the county for their patience and urged them to uphold peace as they bid farewell to the late MP.
“I want to thank the people of Homa Bay for remaining peaceful, calm, and patient,” she added. “Tomorrow, we have a duty to give the late honourable Were a good sendoff.”
These comments followed a statement made by Philip Nahashon Aroko, who had contested the Kasipul Constituency seat against Were in the 2022 elections. Aroko, who is among those arrested in connection with the investigation, accused Governor Wanga of attempting to interfere with the ongoing inquiry. He claimed that Wanga had been pressuring the police to summon him for questioning.
“I want to tell the people of Homa Bay County that the politics in this county has turned to madness; it is not politics, it is thuggery,” Aroko said. “I saw the Governor pushing for me to be called in; she has been making calls to the police for me to be summoned.”
Aroko’s statement came after he was summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on May 7, 2025, and urged the people of Homa Bay to be wary of political interference. His lawyers have demanded that he be presented before a court, after police failed to produce him in court, following his summons.
Aroko is one of ten individuals being investigated in connection with the assassination of the Kasipul MP, who was killed on April 30, 2025, while stuck in traffic along Ngong Road. Also under investigation are the late MP’s driver and bodyguard, who were in the vehicle with him during the incident.
The murder of Ong’ondo Were has sparked shock and anger among Homa Bay residents and political figures, with many expressing concern over the increasing levels of political violence in the region. Investigations are still ongoing, and authorities have promised to take appropriate action as they continue to piece together the details of the MP’s death.
