In a dramatic finish to one of the 2025 IEBC by-election’s most volatile contests, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) candidate Boyd Were was declared the winner of the Kasipul parliamentary by-election after polling 16,819 votes to independent candidate Phillip Aroko’s 8,476 — a landslide margin that ends weeks of bitter campaigning and sporadic violence across the constituency.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) returning officer read out the final totals at the tally centre in Agoro Sare High School as supporters erupted into cheers and chants. The margin — roughly double Aroko’s tally — hands the seat to Boyd Were, who ran as ODM’s official flagbearer and is the son of the late MP Charles Ong’ondo Were. The result confirms ODM’s hold on the Kasipul seat and hands the Were family a swift political comeback after the constituency was plunged into grief earlier this year.
Boyd Were’s decisive victory consolidates ODM’s strength in Homa Bay County and signals that the party’s grassroots machinery — amplified by sympathy votes for the late Ong’ondo Were’s son and a disciplined field operation — proved hard to unseat even as independent forces mounted a spirited challenge. For Philip Aroko, the result is a strong second-place showing but not the upset his camp had hoped for after a fractious campaign.
The by-election did not pass without incident. Security agencies arrested dozens of suspects and impounded vehicles after reports of clashes and weapons at some polling sites. Local police confirmed multiple arrests and the seizure of vehicles and crude weapons — a reminder that the campaign campaign trail had been marred by ugly confrontations, including an attack on a supervising MP at a polling location earlier in the day. IEBC and county leaders condemned the violence while urging calm as results were tallied.
The tense environment leading up to voting had already cost both leading candidates: IEBC issued fines earlier against both Boyd Were and Philip Aroko over breaches of the peace charter and campaign-related disorder, underscoring electoral regulators’ increasing willingness to sanction high-profile actors who breach the rules. Analysts say the fines and security operations may have helped contain further escalation on polling day.
Several factors explain the gap in votes: a consolidated ODM base that rallied around Boyd after party primaries, the Were family’s local profile and constituency networks, and a campaign narrative that emphasized continuity of projects championed by the late MP. Aroko’s independent run attracted significant support but could not overcome the party’s organizational advantage. Local reports also note that voter turnout patterns and strong tally-centre performances in several wards pushed the margin higher for Boyd.
ODM officials and local leaders celebrated the win as a victory for unity and the constituency’s future, while Aroko’s camp, though disappointed, said it would review the result and urged supporters to remain peaceful. IEBC reiterated that ballot boxes were opened and tallied publicly and called for all stakeholders to respect the outcome and pursue any complaints through legal channels.
With Boyd Were sworn in as MP-elect, attention will turn to healing divisions in Kasipul, addressing the security breaches surfaced during the campaign, and delivering on pledges that convinced voters to hand him a commanding mandate. Observers expect close scrutiny of how the new MP balances the legacy of his father with urgent promises on roadworks, education, and youth employment that dominated canvassing.
Boyd Were’s emphatic win (16,819 to 8,476) cements ODM’s control of Kasipul and ends a bruising by-election that exposed both the party’s organizational muscle and worrying spikes of election-period unrest. The real test starts now: turning a headline victory into delivery for a constituency that has seen too much turmoil this year.
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