Three individuals linked to the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were have been formally charged at the High Court in Kibera.
William Imoli Imo Shigali, Edwin Oduor Odhiambo, and Ebel Ochieng, alias Dave Calo, appeared before Justice Diana Kavedza on Tuesday, where they all pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.
The prosecution alleges that on the evening of 30 April 2025, at approximately 7:40 p.m., the trio participated in the killing of the MP at the City Mortuary roundabout, located along Ngong Road in Kilimani Sub-County, Nairobi.
According to the prosecution, Calo is a director at the Lake Basin Development Authority in Kisumu. Shigali is said to be the registered owner of the car that reportedly followed the MP’s vehicle from Parliament, while Odhiambo was allegedly found in possession of the murder weapon.
State Counsel Gikui Gichuhi, representing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposed their release on bail, stating: “The available evidence is overwhelming against the accused persons, thus justifying their continued pre-trial detention.”
An affidavit filed by Inspector Oliver Nabonwe, an investigator from the Homicide Investigations Bureau at DCI headquarters, argued that the nature of the offence made the accused a flight risk. “The murder charge is severe enough to create a strong incentive for the accused to flee,” the court heard.
The affidavit outlined how Were’s vehicle, registration KDM 783A, was trailed by a Toyota with registration KAZ 645Z and a motorcycle, registration KMFZ 413W, from Parliament to the scene of the shooting.
Investigators recovered three spent cartridges, a bullet, and a metallic jacketing at the scene. An autopsy conducted on 5 May 2025 revealed two bullets lodged in the MP’s body.
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Odhiambo was reportedly found in possession of the firearm believed to have been used, while geolocation data placed Shigali’s mobile phone at Parliament for a significant part of the day. The data also showed communication between him, Calo, and another suspect, identified as a hitman—Isaac Kuria, alias Kush.
“Shigali’s phone was geolocated at Parliament for a substantial part of the fateful day, together with Isaac Kuria, also known as Kush (the hitman), and was in constant communication with Calo,” the affidavit read.
Further investigations suggested that Shigali, Calo, and Allan Omondi Ogola—a police officer who served as the MP’s bodyguard—were in frequent contact in the hours leading up to the killing.
Calo is also accused of procuring a SIM card registered under false credentials to mask his involvement. Authorities say he later switched off his known phones, acquired a new one, and fled to Nakuru after the incident.
Additionally, Shigali and Ogola allegedly coordinated the hiring of a boda boda rider to facilitate the hitman’s movements on the day of the murder.
Defence lawyers Stanley Kang’ahi and John Swaka petitioned the court to release the accused on favourable bond terms, arguing that the suspects had already spent an extended period in custody during investigations.
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