Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were Shot Dead in Nairobi

Nairobi — Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were was shot dead on Wednesday evening in a suspected targeted assassination near the City Mortuary roundabout in Nairobi.

According to police reports, Were was ambushed at approximately 7:30 p.m. while stuck in traffic. Two assailants on a motorbike approached his vehicle, and one of them reportedly opened fire at close range, fatally wounding the legislator seated in the front passenger seat. His driver and bodyguard, seated in the back, escaped unharmed.

The MP was rushed to Nairobi Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. The National Police Service condemned the killing as a “heinous and senseless crime,” suggesting it was both targeted and premeditated. Crime scene investigators are appealing for witness accounts as they piece together the circumstances of the attack.

Were’s death comes just two months after he publicly claimed his life was in danger, citing rising violence in his constituency. At a February press briefing in Oyugis, he narrated multiple incidents, including threats from armed individuals and attempts to block his movements during funerals in God Nyango and Nyatindo. In a separate undated video, Were accused unnamed individuals from neighbouring counties of plotting to disrupt public events in Kasipul with the intention of harming him.

President William Ruto has ordered a thorough investigation, insisting that those responsible be brought to justice. Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula praised Were as a fearless advocate for his constituents, while ODM leader Raila Odinga labelled the killing an assassination and mourned him as a “gallant son of the soil.”

The MP’s body has been taken to Lee Funeral Home as investigations continue.