Runner-up in the recently concluded Kasipul by-elections, Philip Aroko, has finally spoken out and given his side of the story regarding the dramatic attack on Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Oga Obinna’s show, Aroko explained that the attack happened after reports circulated that Kaluma had allegedly tried to bribe voters at one of the polling stations.
He firmly denied the claims that he planned or ordered the assault, insisting that he was actually trying to protect the MP from a group of angry youths who had turned hostile.
Aroko revealed that he was having a normal conversation with Kaluma at Agoro Sare High School—one of the polling centres—when rowdy individuals stormed the area accusing the MP of bribing voters. “I was a candidate, so I was allowed to move around and monitor what was happening. When I reached Agoro Sare, I found him with an MCA from Kabondo Kasipul,” Aroko explained.
He added that earlier on, people had already raised concerns that money was being distributed to influence voters.
According to Aroko, Kaluma was not even registered as a voter at that particular station, which raised questions about what he was doing there. “I met him, greeted him, and asked him why he was in that place,” he said.
The runner-up further shared that even though he tried several times to shield the MP from the escalating chaos, the crowd was too large and aggressive.
His security team was quickly outnumbered, and the goons managed to reach Kaluma and begin beating him. “Those were not my people who hit him. The crowd overwhelmed me, so I had to step aside, and that’s when I was hit as well,” Aroko clarified.
Aroko’s explanation comes just a few days after the shocking incident on November 27 during the Kasipul by-elections, where MP Kaluma and his bodyguard were violently attacked at Agoro Sare.
Kaluma, who had gone to the station as the ODM party agent for Boyd Were, sustained serious head injuries during the confrontation.
Shortly after the attack, Kaluma spoke to the media and accused Aroko of orchestrating the violence. He claimed that Aroko allegedly hired goons to disrupt the by-election and physically assault him.
Kaluma further added that his bodyguard was also attacked, and his firearm was stolen during the chaos—before it was reportedly handed over to Aroko and later recovered.
The incident has fueled political tension in the area, with both leaders presenting sharply different accounts of what happened. As investigations continue, residents and political observers are closely watching how the matter unfolds.
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