Police have revealed that the late Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were’s bodyguard and driver were in communication with the suspected killers prior to the assassination.
MP Were was fatally shot on April 30, 2025, while stuck in traffic along Valley Road near the City Mortuary roundabout in Nairobi.
A gunman, who approached on foot and fired multiple shots at close range, killed the MP instantly before fleeing on a motorcycle.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Were was shot five times, with bullets piercing vital organs, including his heart.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on Thursday that the MP’s bodyguard, Allan Omondi, and driver, Walter Owino, were arrested late Tuesday night in a house in Mihang’o, Kayole, following conflicting statements about their actions during the shooting.
According to police, the two were detained as “persons of interest” after evidence emerged suggesting they had communicated and held meetings with suspects linked to the murder.
“Court documents indicate that some of the suspects were in communication before and after the assassination,” a police statement read, noting that a mobile number, newly registered under a false identity and now deactivated, was used to coordinate the operation.
Detectives are analyzing mobile phones confiscated from Omondi and Owino for digital evidence to establish their role in the plot.
The DCI has also recovered two pistols—a Retay Falcon and a Sarsilmaz—along with nine rounds of 9mm ammunition, believed to have been used in the murder.
The weapons, found in a house in Chokaa, Embakasi East, are undergoing ballistic analysis. Additionally, a bag and shoes allegedly worn by the prime suspect during the attack were seized, further tying the crime to an organized network.
CCTV footage has proven pivotal in the investigation, showing a suspect identified as Shighali trailing Were’s vehicle along Wabera Street earlier on the day of the murder.
The suspect was seen carrying a bag believed to conceal the murder weapon. Police recovered over KSh 620,000 in cash, multiple police uniforms, and additional mobile phones from Shighali’s residence, raising questions about the financial backing of the operation.
By Kenyans