Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were was shot dead on Wednesday night in a chilling ambush near the City Mortuary roundabout along Ngong Road in Nairobi.
The incident occurred around 7.30pm as Were was reportedly caught in a traffic jam while heading towards Mbagathi Road after leaving Parliament.
According to eyewitnesses, two men on a motorbike had been trailing the legislator’s vehicle before launching their attack.
One of the assailants dismounted and approached Were’s car, smashing a window before shooting him at close range.
The MP’s driver escaped the harrowing ordeal unharmed.
- Tributes pour in for slain Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were
- Radio maestro Edward Kwach dies after meningitis battle
Nearby traffic police officers who witnessed the incident rushed to the scene. Were was immediately taken to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Hi body was moved to Lee Funeral Home.
The motive behind the assassination remains unclear, but early indications suggest it was a calculated and targeted attack.
Were, first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2022 on an ODM ticket, served on the Parliamentary Committee on Blue Economy and Irrigation.
He held multiple academic qualifications in business and accounting and had a background in the private sector.
Were had recently expressed fears for his safety, saying he felt like a marked man. On February 8, he pointed to two separate incidents as signs that he was deeply troubled and feared for his life.
That day, he strongly criticised the growing violence in his constituency, alleging that it was being fuelled by outside elements. He claimed that people from outside the area were showing up to disrupt public events.
One such incident, he said, occurred the previous week in Nyatindo, East Kamagak Ward, where he was confronted by thugs during a funeral service.
“Immediately I arrived there, before even praying, one of the notorious criminals who came from Kachien, called Aboy, stated I would not talk there,” he said.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@nairobilawmonthly.com, and to advertise with us, call +254715061658 anytime of the day
