MP Charles Were's murder: The unanswered questions

By Newsflash Reporter

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revisited the site of the fatal shooting of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was gunned down in a chilling execution-style attack on 30 April 2025 night.

The homicide unit, under the leadership of Director Martin Nyuguto, combed through the area near the Nairobi Funeral Home roundabout on Thursday, searching for clues and securing CCTV footage from nearby buildings and traffic cameras in a bid to piece together the final moments leading to the killing.

Were, a prominent figure in Homa Bay County politics, was fatally shot by an unknown assailant riding on a motorcycle. The attack occurred around 7:30 p.m. just as the MP’s vehicle stopped at a red light on the Ngong Road exit, shortly after he had left a session in Parliament. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, Were succumbed to his injuries the same night.

His assassination comes just four days after another violent incident targeting Vickins Bondo, a 28-year-old Member of the Homa Bay County Assembly (MCA) and reportedly the youngest in the county legislature. Bondo was ambushed by gunmen in Nairobi’s Lucky Summer neighborhood on April 26.

He was walking with his sister and friends when armed attackers confronted them. One of the gunmen opened fire, leaving Bondo with head injuries. He was treated and later discharged. Curiously, the attack was never reported to the nearest police stations—Kasarani or Starehe.

Suspicions of a broader plot and political motivation

Sources close to the Bondo family suggest the attack may be linked to the MCA’s ongoing push for a probe into the mysterious death of his father, Chief Inspector Nicholas Aguk Oballa. Oballa, who served as a traffic police officer in Embakasi, died on February 7 in what was officially recorded as a hit-and-run accident near the VIP wing of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while facilitating a presidential escort. However, Bondo and his family have dismissed the hit-and-run narrative and demanded a deeper investigation.

The DCI’s homicide detectives have since taken over the case after the initial traffic investigation yielded no results.

Both Were and Bondo hailed from West Kasipul Ward, fueling speculation about a possible connection between the two attacks, though no official link has been confirmed. Nonetheless, Were had been vocal about threats to his life in recent months.

On February 8, he told constituents about incidents of politically motivated violence disrupting his events, accusing unnamed outsiders of orchestrating chaos with a view to eliminating him. His warnings were recorded by attendees and later circulated on social media.

“If you hear I’ve been killed, know that Kasipul will never be the same again,” Were had said during one such gathering. “But I’m not afraid. I sleep with the Bible in my phone and another one under my pillow.”

Following his murder, Were’s family and political allies insist the MP’s killing was not random. His brother, Paul Juma, stated that Were had repeatedly named individuals he believed were plotting his assassination, but his warnings were ignored by security agencies. “He cried out for help, but nothing was done. We demand justice,” Juma said.

James Were, another relative, suggested that powerful individuals within the government could have played a role in the assassination. “He knew the meetings where plans to kill him were being made,” he said.

Veteran politician and the MP’s elder brother, Dalmas Otieno, came to his defense, rejecting any claims that Were had a violent past. The family dismissed the narrative as part of a campaign to tarnish the lawmaker’s image and deflect from the real perpetrators.

Investigations intensify

On the night of the assassination, Were was seated in the back seat of a white Toyota Crown when two men on a motorcycle approached. The pillion passenger pulled out a firearm and shot the MP at close range. Notably, his driver and bodyguard, both in the same vehicle, were left unharmed—an indication that the attack may have been a carefully planned hit targeting only the legislator.

DCI officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau are currently examining Were’s phone records to identify any communications or threats he may have received prior to the shooting. Preliminary investigations suggest that the assailants had been trailing the MP’s vehicle from Parliament.

Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja, through police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, confirmed that investigators are treating the incident as a targeted and premeditated assassination. “We have launched a full-scale investigation. All leads are being followed,” said Nyaga. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen added that detectives had made significant progress and that the probe was at an advanced stage.

In a dramatic address on the night of the murder, Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo claimed that the identity of the shooter was already known. “He was a hardworking MP who always showed up for Parliament sessions. He warned that his life was in danger. I want to say it clearly—the person who did this is known. We must put a stop to the culture of violence taking root in Homa Bay politics,” she stated.

As investigations continue, questions swirl around whether Were’s killing and the attempted hit on Bondo are part of a broader plot or isolated incidents. The chilling similarities in the timing, constituency affiliation, and political context have left many demanding urgent answers and heightened security for public officials.