Detectives have arrested a key suspect in the murder of Awendo MP Ong’ondo Were at the Kenya-Tanzania border, thwarting an attempted escape. The suspect, identified as “Kush” (not his real name), was apprehended in Isebania after mobile phone triangulation placed him at multiple primary crime scenes related to the April 30 assassination.
Kush is believed to be part of the hit squad that executed the legislator in a brazen daylight shooting in Nairobi traffic. He allegedly travelled to the city’s Central Business District on the day of the murder as part of a coordinated plan. According to investigators, he used a motorcycle during the attack and later fled to Mihango, Kayole, where he disposed of the murder weapon—now recovered and forensically confirmed to have been used in the crime.
To evade capture, Kush took another motorcycle to Narok, where he left his bike before boarding a public service vehicle to Isebania. Police say he had been in contact with a relative in Tanzania to facilitate his escape. He was arrested at a local lodging, alongside another man who has also been detained.
Kush’s arrest brings the number of suspects in custody to 11. Among those already held are Were’s bodyguard Allan Omondi, his driver Walter Owino, and William Imoli, who allegedly played a central role in coordinating and financing the plot. Businessman Phillip Aroko and Lake Basin Development Authority Director Ebel Ochieng are also in custody as alleged financiers.
Investigations reveal the murder was politically motivated and meticulously planned over several weeks. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is currently analysing financial records and communications linked to the suspects, which could unveil the motive and masterminds behind the assassination.
Cash recovered from suspects—including Sh615,000 found in a Nairobi house—has been presented as evidence, with some suspects confessing to being paid in US dollars for the hit. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed that additional evidence, including surveillance footage and forensic data, is being processed to build a watertight case.
