An assistant chief has been suspended for allegedly participating in the Kasipul parliamentary by-elections, contrary to the guidelines set out in the Constitution of Kenya.
He was suspended from public service after it was discovered that he had hosted the two opposing factions in the Kasipul race at his home last week.
The meeting resulted in violence when groups allied to ODM’s Boyd Were and independent candidate Philip Aroko clashed, leaving two people dead and several others injured.
Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koime confirmed that investigations into the public officer’s alleged involvement were underway, adding that further action would be taken if he was found to be linked to the violence.
“An administrative action has been taken against the assistant chief because the two young men were killed in his homestead. We are investigating him to find out if he participated in the murder of the two men,” Koime said.
Details of the meeting are unclear, but reports suggest that the assistant chief was attempting to broker peace after several days of tension between the two rival groups.
However, other reports suggested that the assistant chief might be allied to one of the candidates and was orchestrating an attack on another candidate's supporters under the guise of a meeting.
This is after residents revealed that the two groups believed the meeting was connected to their preferred candidate.
The incident allegedly took place on November 6, with Boyd, son of the late Kasipul MP Charles Were, accusing his political rival of orchestrating the attack.
Amidst these claims, Boyd's main competitor, Aroko, made a counter accusation, criticising Boyd's security team for allegedly orchestrating the violence witnessed in Central Kasipul.
According to Aroko, one resident was killed and several others were left with critical injuries during the clashes, which he attributed to Boyd's campaign team.
Officers Injured
Fast forward to Thursday November 13, when several officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were injured in a violent confrontation with armed assailants in Kasipul.
According to the police, the incident occurred during a security operation to apprehend suspects linked to the killing of two youths in the Opondo area ahead of the November 27 Kasipul parliamentary by-election.
Reports suggest that the officers, including Rachuonyo South Sub-County DCI boss Daniel Muhuhi, were ambushed while attempting to arrest the suspects at the home of the late former Kasipul MP, Ong’ondo Were, in Kachien Village.
The officers reportedly encountered the ordeal while tracing the suspects to Kosele Trading Centre following intelligence reports. The group then fled and sought refuge at the late MP’s homestead, where they attacked the officers.
In the lead-up to the elections, the Kasipul campaigns have been characterised by violence and rising political tensions, despite the efforts of ODM and the police to restore calm proving futile.
