NAIROBI, Kenya — In a dramatic twist to an already complex murder investigation, detectives have arrested and detained the driver and bodyguard of slain Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were after inconsistencies emerged in their accounts of the April 30 assassination.
What started as a straightforward manhunt for a gunman has now turned into an unraveling conspiracy potentially involving insiders and rogue officers.
Inner Circle Under Scrutiny
Police confirmed late Tuesday that the two men—initially treated as witnesses—are now considered persons of interest. The shift came after they reportedly gave conflicting statements during interrogations about what they saw and did on the day of the shooting.
Although both escaped the brazen daylight attack unharmed, investigators now believe their version of events raises more questions than answers.
Were was fatally shot while in traffic near City Mortuary, sustaining five gunshot wounds that fatally ruptured vital organs, including his heart, according to an autopsy.
Eyewitnesses recalled the bodyguard jumping from the vehicle as the gunman fled on a motorcycle.
He briefly gave chase, then rejoined the driver to rush the wounded MP to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
In the days since, detectives have accompanied the two across various Nairobi locations to retrace Were’s final movements and reconstruct the ambush.
Their arrest now suggests a possible breach in the MP’s inner security circle—a development that adds a troubling layer to an already chilling narrative.
Forensics, Footage, and a Web of Suspects
Meanwhile, four other suspects remain in police custody, with more arrests likely. Among them is William Imoli Shighali, alias Omar Shakur, who was apprehended alongside Douglas Muchiri Wambugu and David Mihigo Kagame in a Roysambu lounge.
The group eventually led detectives to the Pangani home of police officer Juma Ali Haikal, where a vehicle allegedly used in the murder was found.
Searches conducted in the suspects’ residences unearthed damning evidence: police uniforms, over USD 4,800 in cash, nine rounds of live ammunition, teargas canisters, and mobile phones currently undergoing forensic analysis.
Investigators also discovered Sh615,000 at one suspect’s home—believed to be payment for the assassination mission.
A DCI source confirmed that court documents show communication among the suspects before and after the hit.
Pivotal CCTV footage places Shighali trailing the MP along Wabera Street, carrying what appears to be a concealed weapon in a bag and wearing police boots later recovered from Haikal’s home.
“Thousands of minutes of footage have been reviewed to reconstruct the MP’s final moments,” prosecutors said during a court session, noting that the visual evidence is central to building the case.
A Sophisticated Operation with Deep Pockets
Police now suspect the murder was not an isolated act but the work of an organized criminal network with extensive resources and law enforcement links.
Investigators are particularly interested in another officer—still at large—who is believed to have coordinated the hit using a newly registered, now-deactivated SIM card under a false identity.
The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Magistrate’s Court has granted detectives 30 more days to hold the suspects as the probe continues to unfold.
With each new lead, the case is shifting from a tragic political killing to an elaborate underworld plot, complete with high-level coordination and suspicious financial transactions.
As authorities widen their net and peel back layers of this unsettling crime, one thing is becoming clear: the assassination of MP Ong’ondo Were wasn’t just a targeted killing—it may have been an inside job.
With the driver and bodyguard now in custody and more suspects under investigation, Kenya watches closely as a case of political murder morphs into a sobering tale of betrayal and shadowy alliances
