Key Suspect In MP Charles Were Murder Freed As Case Takes Fresh Twist
His release marks a major shift in the case, which has already led to three individuals being formally charged with the MP’s murder.
Marvin Chege 
Businessman and political figure Philip Nahashon Aroko has been released from custody and will now testify as a state witness in the murder investigation of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were.
Aroko, who was initially arrested and treated as a suspect in the high-profile case, was freed after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reviewed the evidence and decided to designate him a key witness.
His release marks a major shift in the case, which has already led to three individuals being formally charged with the MP’s murder.
Politician and businessman Phillip Aroko arraigned at the JKIA Law Courts on May 9, 2025. /CITIZEN DIGITAL
Until recently, Aroko was under heavy scrutiny from investigators. In late May, the High Court overturned a bail ruling by the Chief Magistrate’s Court at JKIA. Justice Kavenza sided with the prosecution’s request to hold Aroko longer, citing the case’s complexity and sensitivity.
“The application is found to be merited,” the judge ruled, stressing that temporarily detaining Aroko was essential for investigators to follow crucial leads without violating his constitutional rights.
He was then remanded at Kileleshwa Police Station until May 26, 2025, as the investigation proceeded.
The prosecution had opposed his release at the time, arguing it could compromise the case, raising fears he might tamper with witnesses or co-accused individuals. The High Court’s move to cancel his earlier bail highlighted the state’s careful approach to safeguarding the investigation's integrity.
Throughout, Aroko has maintained his innocence in the MP’s murder. On May 8, 2025, he made damning accusations against Governor Gladys Wanga while presenting himself at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters in response to earlier summons in relation to the murder investigations.
The businessman expressed his willingness to cooperate fully with investigators, asserting that he has nothing to conceal. DCI had beforehand treated him as a person of interest in the probe and ordered him to surrender at the nearest police station without delay.
However, he claimed that the investigation was being influenced by political interference. Aroko attributed his police summons to Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, accusing her of trying to implicate him in the murder of MP Were. He challenged the governor to present any evidence connecting him to the crime.
"I want to tell the people of Homa Bay County that the politics in that county has turned into madness; it is not politics, it is thuggery. I saw the Governor pushing so much for me to be called here; she is making calls to the police for me to be called here to make a statement. She has achieved it now," he ranted.
"If she has something that she is sure about, then she has to prove her push for me to come here. I want to tell her that we are changing the politics from thuggery to civilised politics in that constituency because those who fight, kill and maim people are employees of the county government of Homa Bay. They are on her payroll. She has never talked about anything, but she has achieved this one, and she has pushed for me to be here."
