NAIROBI, Kenya — In what detectives are calling a “targeted and premeditated hit,” the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were in Nairobi has launched a full-scale manhunt—and raised urgent questions about political security, insider leaks, and Kenya’s fragile safety net for public servants.
Were, who had just left Parliament on the evening of April 30, was gunned down in cold blood at a traffic stop along Valley Road.
A Calculated Execution, Caught on Camera
CCTV footage paints a chilling timeline: the MP left Parliament at 6:15 p.m., riding in a discreet Toyota Crown instead of his usual car—an apparent safety measure that proved futile.
As the convoy navigated City Hall Way, then Wabera Street, Were’s bodyguard made a brief stop at an M-Pesa shop, depositing Sh20,000 into the MP’s phone. Unknown to them, a hooded man on a sports bike was watching—and following.
Footage shows the same man tracking their route from Kenyatta Avenue to Jakaya Kikwete Road, and finally onto Valley Road.
Just after 7:40 p.m., stuck in traffic, the assassin pounced—firing at least five rounds through the window, hitting the MP in the chest and hand, before hopping back on the bike and vanishing into the city’s chaos.
Despite desperate efforts by his bodyguard and driver—who miraculously escaped unscathed—Were was pronounced dead on arrival at Nairobi Hospital.
Insider Leaks and a Vanishing Killer
One glaring mystery looms: how did the attackers know Were had switched vehicles? Police now believe the killers had inside information—suggesting political motivations or betrayal within his circle.
According to police spokesman Michael Muchiri, “The nature of this crime appears to be both targeted and premeditated.”
Investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have since questioned Were’s driver, bodyguard, the M-Pesa attendant, and restaurant staff along Kimathi Street—where the assassin and his rider reportedly had lunch earlier that day.
They’re also piecing together CCTV footage from shops across the city in a bid to trace the killer’s movements and identify the rider.
Three spent cartridges were recovered from the scene and are now undergoing ballistic analysis.
Political Undertones or Criminal Mastermind?
Detectives have expanded their investigation beyond Nairobi, turning attention to Kasipul, where Were held his parliamentary seat.
Authorities are considering whether the assassination could be tied to local political rivalries or larger national dynamics.
As Kenya reels from the shock, this attack has ignited a renewed debate on security and surveillance gaps.
Were’s murder—executed in under a minute, in peak-hour traffic, and in one of Nairobi’s busiest areas—is a chilling reminder of just how exposed citizens remain.
