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A Kenyan opposition MP, Charles Ong’ondo Were, has been shot dead in a suspected assassination on the streets of Nairobi, in an attack that has shocked the nation and raised serious concerns about political violence.
According to police, gunmen on a motorcycle trailed the MP’s vehicle before one of them dismounted and shot him at close range along the busy Ngong Road, an area known for heavy surveillance and traffic police presence.
Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the nature of the crime “appears to be both targeted and predetermined.” The MP’s driver and bodyguard, who were unharmed, rushed him to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival late Wednesday night.
The killing comes just two months after Were had publicly complained of threats to his life, alleging a plot to assassinate him linked to local political rivalries. “When you hear I’ve been killed, Kasipul will not be the same again,” he said in February, referring to the western Kenyan constituency he represented. “But I know they won’t kill me because I have the Bible in my phone and another under my pillow.”
President William Ruto has ordered a full investigation, promising that those responsible will be “held to account.” Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed Thursday that investigations had “advanced,” and homicide detectives revisited the crime scene.
Political leaders, including Parliament Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, expressed outrage and grief. Wetang’ula described Were as a “fearless and distinguished” legislator, while Raila Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), condemned the attack as a “cold-blooded” killing of “a gallant son of the soil.”
Were, who was serving his second term in parliament under Odinga’s ODM, had been a soft-spoken but vocal advocate within the opposition. Despite ODM’s broader alignment with Ruto’s administration through a so-called “broad-based government”, Were’s death has highlighted the dangerous undercurrents of local political tensions.
As Kenya reels from this latest political murder, many are calling for accountability and protection for public officials. The motive for the assassination remains unclear.
