A political storm is brewing following the gruesome murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were, with key figures in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) accusing the government of complicity and threatening to withdraw from the broad-based governance framework.
Speaking at the late MP’s home in Kasipul on Saturday, senior ODM leaders, including Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Senator Moses Kajwang, National Assembly Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo, and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, claimed the assassination was orchestrated by government-linked actors and carried out by trained individuals.
The leaders condemned the Thursday shooting in Nairobi as a politically motivated hit, warning that ODM’s continued participation in the Kenya Kwanza-led inclusive government would be untenable if justice is not served swiftly. “We joined this government to address the challenges Kenyans are facing—not to bury our colleagues murdered in cold blood by state machinery,” Governor Wanga asserted.
Millie Odhiambo and Peter Kaluma were particularly vocal, declaring that ODM would consider pulling out of the bipartisan government arrangement should the state fail to present a comprehensive report on the incident. Kaluma emphasized that the fate of the political truce now rests on how President William Ruto’s administration handles the investigation.
The leaders demanded an immediate and transparent probe into the killing, warning that delays or cover-ups would only deepen public mistrust and political tension.
Meanwhile, Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara and Teso North MP Okuu Kaunya urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to retrieve CCTV footage from the area where the incident occurred and move swiftly to apprehend the perpetrators. They insisted that those behind the murder must be arrested before Were’s burial, signaling the urgency and gravity of the matter.
Charles Ong’ondo Were’s killing has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, threatening to unravel the delicate cooperation between ODM and the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition. As investigations continue, all eyes are on the government’s next steps—ones that could shape Kenya’s political future.
