Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were was gunned down Wednesday 30th, April in what authorities believe to be a targeted assassination near the City Mortuary roundabout along Ngong Road.

The attack occurred around 7:30 p.m. Eyewitnesses reported that two armed assailants on a motorcycle ambushed the MP’s vehicle. Police say the attackers had been trailing the car before one dismounted and opened fire at close range, fatally injuring the ODM lawmaker.

His driver, who was in the vehicle at the time, escaped unharmed further fueling suspicions that the killers were after the legislator alone. Traffic police officers stationed nearby reportedly witnessed the shooting unfold.

Mr. Were was rushed to Nairobi Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The late MP was serving his second term in Parliament on an Orange Democratic Movement ODM ticket, having first been elected in 2017.

The National Assembly through the speaker officially confirmed the death of Hon. Charles Were.

In a notification the SpeakeMoses Wetangula said, Members of Parliament were informed of Hon. Were’s untimely demise.

Wetangula expressed heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and constituents of the late MP, describing him as “a passionate representative and a true servant of the people.”

The shocking incident has triggered an outpouring of grief and condemnation from across the political divide.

In a statement, the ODM Party said: “We have received with shock and disbelief the tragic death of Hon. Charles Ong’ondo Were. He was in Parliament for most of the day and left at 6:15 p.m. after participating in the day’s business. While we join his constituents, the people of Homa Bay, his family, and friends in mourning, we call on the police to investigate the shooting and bring the culprits to book.”

Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) also mourned the legislator, saying:“The assassination adds to a litany of insecurity incidents that continue to rock the country.”

Health Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale, who served with the MP in Parliament, expressed his grief, stating:
“Those who planned and executed this heinous crime must face the full force of the law. Such brutality has no place in our society and must be condemned in the strongest terms possible.”

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, revealed on his X account that he had spoken with Were only hours before his death. “We chatted, laughed… he told me, ‘I need a conversation with you, mambo si mazuri.’ Five hours later, he is no more. The news is shocking.”

Investigations are ongoing, with calls mounting for the swift arrest and prosecution of those behind the killing.