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A Nairobi court has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) permission to hold the main suspect in the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were for 30 days as investigations continue.
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MP Were was shot dead on April 30, 2025, near the City Mortuary roundabout along Valley Road. Investigators say the MP was followed from Parliament by both a vehicle and a motorcycle before being ambushed and fatally shot while driving.
According to an affidavit submitted by lead investigator Reuben Mwaniki, the suspect—identified as Isaac Kuria, alias “Kush”—is suspected to have been hired to carry out the assassination. Witness statements and CCTV footage have linked Kuria to individuals already under investigation for other related crimes.
Police say phone data analysis placed Kuria near the scene at the time of the shooting and showed consistent communication with suspected accomplices. He was reportedly arrested in Isebania, Migori County, near the Kenya-Tanzania border, as he allegedly attempted to flee the country.
“The respondent was hired to kill the MP, fled to Migori after the attack, and was intercepted en route to Tanzania. He poses a flight risk,” the application stated.
Authorities also allege that Kuria was dropped near Parliament by a vehicle, then picked up by a motorcycle to trail the MP before executing the attack. Both the vehicle and motorcycle, along with their occupants, were recorded on city surveillance cameras. Investigators are now analyzing this footage to identify all involved parties.
Preliminary findings indicate that Kuria was recruited by suspects already in custody, along with others still being sought. He was apprehended at a hotel in Isebania with his brother, Gideon Chege Bake, and step-sister, who was allegedly facilitating his illegal crossing into Tanzania.
“Based on early evidence, the respondent was arrested while waiting to be smuggled across the border. He was transferred to Nairobi and booked at Kasarani Police Station on May 9 at 6:10 PM,” Mwaniki said.
The DCI says Kuria has provided critical leads during initial questioning, including names of other individuals of interest. He has also been linked to the murder weapon, which was recovered from accomplices already in custody.
Investigators plan to conduct further interrogations, identification parades, review more CCTV footage, and visit key locations in both Nairobi and Homa Bay counties. Forensic analysis of mobile phones and cybercrime data is also underway.
“The brutal nature of the MP’s killing has caused deep distress within his community,” the affidavit noted.
Kuria becomes the eleventh suspect arrested in connection with the assassination. Those already detained include the MP’s bodyguard Allan Omondi, his driver Walter Owino, and William Imoli—believed to have masterminded and financed the plot.
Other suspects include businessman Phillip Aroko, Lake Basin Development Authority official Ebel Ochieng, and individuals named Edwin Oduor and Dennis Manyasi.
Authorities say Kuria was also in communication with contacts in Tanzania who were allegedly helping to facilitate his escape.
The DCI continues to investigate the case, focusing on financial transactions and political ties that could reveal the motive behind the killing.
