Kasipul parliamentary candidates, Philip Aroko and Boyd Were Ong’ondo, have each been fined Ksh1 million by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) after being found responsible for violence that broke out during campaigns ahead of the constituency’s by-election.
The ruling, issued on Wednesday, November 19, followed a hearing before the IEBC Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee, which examined submissions from both candidates before delivering its verdict.
In its statement, the committee detailed the specific breaches committed, noting that both candidates had violated several key provisions of the Electoral Code of Conduct.
"Upon keenly listening to the parties and considering all the facts and law, it is the committee's finding that the two candidates in this matter are responsible for the violence witnessed in Kasipul constituency.
"Our finding as the committee therefore is that in the context of both oral and written submissions of the parties, the committee finds that both candidates are in violations of Paragraph 6 (q), (b), (c), (e), (i), (k), (m), and (n) of the electoral code of conduct," the committee said.
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Before issuing penalties, the committee reminded the candidates that order and fairness in campaigns depend on adherence to the rules and schedules they commit to.
It cautioned both men to strictly follow the joint campaign timetable agreed upon in early October.
"The committee hereby orders that a stern and formal warning be and is hereby issued to Philip Aroko and Boyd Were Ong'ondo, to respect and obey IEBC's harmonized campaign schedule as agreed upon by all candidates on 10 October 2025 without any deviation whatsoever," the committee added.
The panel then announced the fines, each amounting to Ksh1 million, payable within two days of the ruling.
"Philip Aroko, for the violation, is hereby condemned to pay a fine of Ksh1 million to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission within 48 hours of these orders.
"Boyd Were Ong'ondo is condemned similarly for the violation to pay a fine of Ksh1 million to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission within 48 hours of these orders," the committee directed.
The committee warned that any repeat offences would attract more severe consequences, including potential disqualification from the upcoming by-election.
"A most stern warning be and is hereby issued to both candidates, that should any violation of the letter of court be repeated by any of them, this committee will consider all penalties under the law, including their disqualification from participating in the November 2017 elections altogether," the committee further said.
Aroko and Were were summoned by IEBC after 2 people were killed and several others were injured in Kasipul after a group of suspected goons raided a rally held in Central Kasipul by Were.
Were accused Aroko of orchestrating the violence; Aroko returned the blame to Were, accusing his team of using violence to intimidate his camp.
Chaos was witnessed in Kasipoula again on November 12 after detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided Were's home as they attempted to arrest suspects linked to the recent killing of two youths.
The operation resulted in three DCI officers being injured after they were ambushed by a mob while arresting 5 suspects in the homestead.
During the chaos, the five suspects who had been arrested managed to escape. The injured officers were rushed to Rachuonyo South Sub-County Hospital for treatment.
