The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has approved murder charges against five individuals linked to the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament, Charles Ong’ondo Were. The MP was gunned down on April 30, 2025, near the City Mortuary Roundabout along Valley Road in Nairobi, an incident that has since sent shockwaves across Homa Bay County and the national political scene.
Among those expected to face charges are William Imoli alias Imo, Edwin Oduor Odhiambo alias Machuani, and Ebel Ochieng alias Dave Calo, who will appear before the Kibera High Court. The other two suspects Allan Omondi Ogola, a police officer and MP Were’s former bodyguard, and Isaac Kuria alias Kush, believed to be the hitman will be arraigned at the Milimani High Court.
Calo, notably, is a director at the Lake Basin Development Authority based in Kisumu. The DPP revealed that the suspects conspired to eliminate MP Were, with planning meetings reportedly held both within and outside Nairobi. Police investigations suggest the motive behind the killing was rooted in fierce local succession politics.
One suspect reportedly received a down payment of KSh850,000 for the execution, with part of the amount later recovered in US dollars during a police raid.
In a significant development, the MP’s driver, Walter Awino Owino, and another suspect, Dennis Sewe Manyasi, were released by the JKIA Magistrate’s Court after being turned into state witnesses. The two men, who were initially arrested in connection with the killing, held emotional prayers with their families outside the court upon their release. According to officials, their cooperation with authorities was conditional and critical to building the case against the accused.
Out of the 12 initially arrested, five have since been released unconditionally due to lack of evidence, while others have transitioned to witness status.
The arraignment of the five main suspects on Wednesday, June 4, is expected to mark a major step in the pursuit of justice for the slain legislator, whose murder has deeply unsettled political circles in Homa Bay and beyond.
