A tense by-election in Kasipul spiraled into violence on Thursday, leaving 23 people behind bars, 15 vehicles impounded, and two motorbikes seized—many of them loaded with crude weapons.
The dramatic scenes at Agoro Sare Primary School—home to eight polling stations—unfolded after supporters of independent candidate Philip Aroko attacked Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, leaving him and his bodyguard injured and sparking hours of chaos that threatened to derail the mini poll.
MP Kaluma, who also served as ODM’s chief agent, had been waiting for ODM candidate Boyd Were to arrive and vote when a convoy pulled in. Mistaking it for Were’s team, he approached warmly—only to realise moments later that it was Aroko’s supporters.
Within seconds, calm turned to chaos.
Aroko’s supporters pounced on the MP with kicks and blows as police struggled to restore order.
Kaluma’s bodyguard was also roughed up, and in the melee, his firearm was snatched by the attackers. The weapon was later recovered.
“The goons fled immediately after attacking us. Police reinforcement came minutes later,” Kaluma recounted, adding that a second wave of youths—allegedly on a revenge mission—was swiftly repulsed.
As news of the attack spread, security officers stepped up operations across Kasipul. At Oyugis Police Station, impounded vehicles lined the yard—some dented, some splattered with mud—bearing the unmistakable marks of violent political confrontation.
Homa Bay Police Commander Lawrence Koilem said ODM candidate Boyd Were had to be escorted to the polling station to prevent further clashes.
“The incident raised tensions. We had to ensure safe voting for all candidates,” Koilem said.
Election officials acknowledged that the violence cast a dark shadow over the poll.
IEBC Returning Officer Rebecca Abwaku confirmed that voter turnout dipped significantly.
“The low turnout was partly due to the violence witnessed at various polling stations,” she said.
With 10 candidates in the race and an electorate shaken by chaos, Kasipul residents now await the official tally to know who will replace the outgoing Member of Parliament.
For now, the constituency remains on edge—its by-election remembered not for democracy in action, but for the violence that nearly consumed it.
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