The family of former Matungu Member of Parliament (MP) David Were is in mourning after unknown robbers attacked and killed their 39-year-old son in Kisumu. Two assailants riding a motorbike targeted Hannington Were at around 1 a.m. on Sunday while walking towards the Mamba Hotel to buy food along Nyerere Road.
Were had left his house with his friend, Peter Mutua, when the duo on the motorbike suddenly ambushed them.
“They came with the motorbike; they just turned and whisked out something that looked like a piece of metal which they used to hit him. I ran, calling for help,” Mutua said.
The former lawmaker stated that his son succumbed to stab wounds after onlookers rushed him to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching & Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
“They decided to walk because there were no boda boda along the way. However, when they reached Makini School, they were attacked by boda boda riders. He was rushed to hospital around 2:30, and I was told he had stab wounds in his back. The hospital says he was dead at the time he arrived at the facility. He was stabbed twice in the back,” he said.
The attackers also struck Were on the head with a metal rod during the ambush. The former lawmaker noted that his son, who worked as a compliance officer at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), was a peaceful individual who had no known disputes with his colleagues or members of the community.
Furthermore, the politician revealed that Hannington’s wife had no idea he had stepped out of the house, as he rarely went out at night and did not drink alcohol.
“His wife was already asleep. She did not know that Hannington had left. Hannington is a very private person and does not always walk at night. I do not know what prompted him to leave,” he said, while urging authorities to heighten security in Kisumu amid rising cases of attacks.
Meanwhile, Were’s friend was admitted at JOOTRH after sustaining severe injuries in the same assault. Detectives have already visited both the crime scene and the hospital, confirming that active investigations are underway to track down the killers.