Charles Ong’ondo Were, representative of the Kasipul constituency and member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, was killed at approximately 7:30 PM on April 30, 2025, while in his car along Ngong Road, near the City Mortuary in Nairobi. Two men on a motorcycle approached the vehicle; one of them got off, smashed the window, and fired multiple shots at close range, fatally wounding the MP. His driver and another passenger were unharmed and rushed him to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
A few days before the attack, Were had expressed concerns about his safety, stating in a video that there was a plot to assassinate him. In the footage, he mentioned specific individuals and described a plan involving plainclothes officers and hired youths to create disturbances during a public event, thus providing cover for the attack.
President William Ruto expressed his condolences, calling the murder “shocking,” and urged law enforcement to conduct thorough investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Speaker of the National Assembly also expressed deep sadness over the loss.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the attackers. Despite the area of the attack being monitored by numerous security cameras, no arrests have been made at this time.
