Philip Aroko Dismisses Claims He Planned Kaluma’s Attack, Accuses MP of Alleged Voter Bribery

Runners-up in the recently concluded Kasipul by-elections, Philip Aroko, has broken his silence as he weighed in on the circumstances around the attack on Homa Bay town Member of Parliament, Peter Kaluma.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Oga Obinna's show, Aroko claimed that Kaluma was attacked after reports emerged that he allegedly attempted to bribe voters.

Aroko dismissedclaims that he planned Kaluma's attack, insisting that he was only trying to protect the lawmaker from a group of youths who were charging towards the MP.

According to him, he was conversing with Kaluma at Agoro Sare High School when goons stormed the polling station and began threatening the legislator over claims of voter bribery.

"I was a candidate, so I was allowed to go around and see what was happening, so when I got to Agoro Sare, I found him with some MCA from Kabondo Kasipul," Aroko noted.

"Before that, we heard that they were distributing money. They were bribing voters. Remember, he was not a voter in that place. I met him; he was the one I went to greet. I asked what he was doing there," he added.

The runners-up noted that despite several attempts to shield Kaluma from the rowdy youths, his security team was overpowered by the goons, who immediately began flogging the legislator.

"Those were not my people who hit him. People overwhelmed me, so I had to move away; that is when I was hit," Aroko clarified.

Aroko's clarification comes hardly five days afterMP Kaluma and his bodyguard were attacked by unknown peopleat Agor Sare during the Kasipul by-elections held on November 27.

The MP who had arrived at the polling station as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party agent for Boyd Were sustained serious head injuries.

Addressing the press moments after the incident, Kaluma accused Aroko of allegedly hiring a group of goons to attack him and interfere with the Kasipul by-elections.

He also claimed that his bodyguard was attacked and the latter's gun was stolen and reportedly handed to Aroko before it was later retrieved.