Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a key suspect in the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament, Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was gunned down in a brazen attack on Ngong Road last Wednesday.
The arrest was made early Sunday morning in Nairobi, with authorities acting on intelligence gathered from extensive CCTV analysis and witness accounts.
The officers also seized a vehicle believed to have been used in the getaway, marking a significant development in a case that shocked the nation.
The vehicle, captured on security cameras across multiple locations in the capital, was traced to routes near Parliament Buildings, City Hall Way, Wabera Street, Kenyatta Avenue, Jakaya Kikwete Road, Argwings Kodhek Road, and Valley Road.
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Footage showed it was used to trail the MP as he left Parliament Buildings around 7 PM on that fateful day with his bodyguard and driver, heading towards City Hall Way and then Wabera Street. At Wabera, a hooded man carrying a bag was seen monitoring the MP’s vehicle.
At one point, the MP’s bodyguard briefly left the car to deposit Ksh20,000 at an M-Pesa shop on Were’s behalf. They then diverted from Kenyatta Avenue to Ralph Bunche Road to avoid traffic before proceeding to Argwings Kodhek Road and Valley Road.
It was at a traffic stop on Valley Road where the attack happened. A gunman got off a motorcycle that had been following the MP’s car, approached, and fired four shots at close range. The bullets hit the MP in the chest and hands.
The attacker then escaped in the same car that had been seen earlier, Were succumbing to his injuries at the scene.
The killing sent shockwaves through the country, where political assassinations have become an alarming trend, especially after the 2024 youth-led protests. Were’s supporters have speculated that his vocal stance against graft may have made him a target, though police have yet to confirm a motive.
The DCI has urged calm as the investigation continues, with forensic teams still analysing evidence and pursuing an accomplice suspected of involvement in the shooting, who remains at large.
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