There was drama at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts on Thursday afternoon after missing politician and businessman Phillip Aroko was finally produced before the court, hours after the High Court issued an order compelling the Inspector General of Police to reveal his whereabouts.
Aroko, who had reportedly been held incommunicado since his arrest, was presented in court at 3pm following mounting pressure from his legal team, which had raised alarm over his prolonged disappearance.
His sudden appearance came as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) intensified investigations into the recent murder of Kasipul Kabondo Member of Parliament, Charles Were.
In a miscellaneous application, State prosecutors revealed that preliminary findings had placed Aroko at the heart of a complex conspiracy, linking him to the MP’s killing.
Investigators alleged that communication records and financial trails had tied Aroko to several persons of interest believed to have been involved in planning the assassination.
Authorities outlined a series of organised meetings held in Homabay, Nairobi, and Nakuru, which they believe served as the blueprint for the crime.
Further raising the stakes, the court was told that the slain MP had previously lodged formal reports of threats—allegedly from Aroko—at the DCI regional headquarters in Nairobi.
Financial transactions originating from Aroko are now under forensic scrutiny, with officials working to map out the full extent of the network behind the murder.
Adding to the gravity of the case, several potential witnesses have reportedly gone into hiding, fearing for their safety. The prosecution argued for a 30-day custodial period for Aroko, citing the need to protect witnesses and complete investigations.
Aroko, however, strongly opposed the request, pleading with the court to grant a shorter detention period due to personal health concerns and his family’s medical needs.
The businessman also requested to be held at Kileleshwa Police Station, closer to his ailing wife, instead of Kasarani where he was previously remanded.
“Thirty days is crazy. I have a family, I am on medication, and I do not have the machinery to interfere with witnesses,” he submitted, offering to cooperate fully with the investigation.
In her ruling, JKIA Law Courts Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi acknowledged Aroko’s voluntary appearance and willingness to cooperate, granting the prosecution seven working days to hold him in custody at Kileleshwa Police Station.
Meanwhile, the same court also handled a jurisdictional challenge from five other suspects linked to the MP’s murder case. Among them were the late legislator’s bodyguard, driver, and a neighbour from his rural home.
The suspects had sought to have their case transferred to either the Milimani or Kibra Law Courts, arguing that the alleged offence fell within those jurisdictions.
Magistrate Gichobi, however, dismissed the application, noting that the matter was still in its preliminary investigative stage. She clarified that the court had not been asked to try the suspects but merely to consider the DCI’s request for custodial orders.
“The application by the respondents lacks merit and the same is dismissed,” she ruled.
With the jurisdictional hurdle cleared, the court is now set to hear the DCI’s request to detain the five suspects for 30 days as investigations continue.
