Two people were killed and several others injured on Thursday evening following violent clashes between rival supporters during a Kasipul parliamentary by-election rally in the Opondo area of Central Kasipul Ward, Homa Bay County.

According to police, the confrontation broke out between supporters of ODM candidate Boyd Were and those backing an independent candidate, escalating into chaos marked by gunfire and running battles.

Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrance Koilem said investigators are pursuing a licensed firearm holder who allegedly fired shots into the air twice during the melee.

“As Were went to report the incident at Oyugis Police Station, his supporters reacted, which resulted in the tragic death of two youths,” Koilem said.

The deceased, identified as Ben Ondiege and Bruno Onyango, both 26, were reportedly supporters of the independent candidate. They suffered deep head injuries in the confrontation, while nearly a dozen others were wounded.

The by-election, slated for November 27, follows the April 2025 killing of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was shot dead in Nairobi by unknown assailants.

In a statement issued Thursday night, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) condemned the violence, accusing rival groups of disrupting a peaceful engagement held by its candidate.

“We wish to make it clear that ODM will not be intimidated by acts of lawlessness aimed at derailing a free, fair, and peaceful election in Kasipul,” the party said.
“The people of Kasipul deserve the right to choose their leader without fear, intimidation, or coercion.”

The party further claimed that similar incidents of intimidation had been reported earlier, including an attack during a Women Empowerment Programme in Sikri, where vehicles were vandalised and participants harassed.

ODM called on security agencies to act swiftly to arrest the perpetrators and financiers of the violence, warning that continued impunity threatens the integrity of the upcoming polls.