Kasipul MP Charles Were Shot Dead in Targeted Attack, Police Launch Probe
Eyewitnesses reported that around 7:30 p.m., a white Toyota Crown carrying the lawmaker stopped at a red light when two men on a motorbike pulled up alongside.
Kasipul MP Charles Were fatally shot in Nairobi in suspected targeted attack. Photo/Kenya.co.ke.
By Robert Assad
The nation is reeling in shock following the fatal shooting of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were in what police are calling a targeted and premeditated attack.
The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday evening along Ngong Road, near the City Mortuary roundabout in Nairobi.According to a statement released by National Police Service spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, the MP was shot at close range by gunmen riding on a motorcycle.
Eyewitnesses reported that around 7:30 p.m., a white Toyota Crown carrying the lawmaker stopped at a red light when two men on a motorbike pulled up alongside.
One of the assailants dismounted, walked to the passenger side of the vehicle, and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene with his accomplice.
The driver and another male passenger, who escaped unharmed, rushed the injured MP to Nairobi Hospital. Unfortunately, Were was pronounced dead on arrival.“The nature of this crime appears to be both targeted and predetermined,” Muchiri stated.
Senior police commanders, including Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin and Nairobi Regional Commander George Seda, visited the crime scene and hospital as investigations got underway.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo also joined officials at the hospital in the wake of the assassination, signaling the gravity of the incident at the highest levels of government.
The National Police Service has condemned the killing, describing it as a “heinous and senseless crime,” and assured the public of thorough investigations.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family, parliamentary colleagues, constituents, and close associates,” said Muchiri, urging the public to come forward with any information that could aid the investigation.
Were’s sudden death has sparked grief across the political landscape. Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, visibly shaken, revealed that he had met Were just hours before the shooting.
“We chatted, laughed, and he told me, ‘I need a conversation with you, mambo si mazuri.’ Five hours later, he is no more,” Amisi mourned.The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, under which Were was elected, has called for swift justice.
“We call on the police to investigate the shooting incident and bring the culprits to book,” the party said in a statement.
Were, serving his second term since his election in 2017, was a member of the Departmental Committee on Blue Economy and Irrigation. Before joining politics, he held leadership roles in the private sector and held academic qualifications from Mt Kenya University and Meru University.
His assassination comes barely three months after he publicly raised concerns over his personal security.
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