NAIROBI, May 10 — A court has rejected a police request to detain businessman and politician Phillip Aroko for 30 days to allow completion of investigations into his alleged involvement in the murder of Kasipul Kabondo MP Ong’ondo Were, granting instead a seven-day custodial period.
While delivering the ruling on Friday, Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi, sitting at JKIA Law Courts, cited Aroko’s voluntary appearance and willingness to cooperate with investigators.
“The respondent presented himself. He has demonstrated that he will avail himself. I give custodial orders of seven working days, and he will be remanded at Kileleshwa Police Station,” she ruled.
The decision followed Aroko’s dramatic appearance at JKIA Court at 3pm, hours after the High Court ordered the Inspector General of Police to produce him.
His legal team had raised alarm over his alleged incommunicado detention since his arrest.
In a miscellaneous application, the State linked Aroko to the killing of the legislator, citing threats he allegedly issued to the deceased and suspected financial involvement in the planning of the murder.
“The respondent has been directly linked through communication records and financial trails to multiple persons of interest,” the State counsel told the court.
Investigators believe meetings in Homabay, Nairobi, and Nakuru formed part of the planning stages leading to the MP’s assassination.
Authorities are now reviewing financial transactions believed to have originated from Aroko to fund the crime, while noting that several meeting locations are yet to be fully documented and some witnesses remain untraced.
Threats
The prosecution also told the court that the slain MP had lodged threats allegedly made by Aroko at the DCI regional headquarters in Nairobi.
The prosecution had argued that a 30-day detention was necessary to secure witnesses and conclude inquiries.
But Aroko opposed the request, citing personal and family health concerns and claiming he lacked the capacity to interfere with witnesses.
“Thirty days is crazy. I have a family and I am on medication which I must access regularly… I do not have the machinery to interfere with witnesses,” he argued.
He had requested to direct his detention at Kileleshwa Police Station to remain close to his ailing wife and proposed a five-day custodial period.
The court accepted his request for detention at Kileleshwa Police Station but capped the period of his detention at seven days.
