Three suspects charged with the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were will remain in custody after the High Court in Kibera denied them bond.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Diana Kavedza declined to release former Lake Basin Development Authority board member Ebel Ochieng, alias Dave, William Imoli, alias Imo, and Edwin Odour Odhiambo, alias Machuani, citing compelling reasons presented by the prosecution.

The judge said the accused had displayed threatening conduct during court proceedings on June 3, 2025, when they made remarks such as, “Who is this? Who does not want us to be released?” Justice Kavedza ruled that these words were aimed at the prosecution and amounted to “an egregious manifestation of calculated and malicious intent to instil fear.”

“This threat, made in a public setting, could not be ignored by witnesses, court officers, and the investigating officer,” she stated.

The court found that the seriousness of the charges, coupled with the accused’s relationships and the alleged organised manner in which the offence was committed, increased the risk of witness interference.

The prosecution, through an application filed on June 16, 2025, had asked the court to deny bond until the trial was concluded, citing the possibility of witness tampering, risk of absconding, and a threat to public order and safety.

Two other suspects in the case, Isaac Kuria and Allan Omondi, are scheduled to appear in court on September 22, 2025, for their bond hearing.

In an affidavit opposing bail, the investigating officer told the court that the firearm used in the killing was recovered from Odour. He alleged that Imoli was the driver of the vehicle that trailed the MP from Parliament, with his phone location data placing him there for most of the day.

The officer further claimed that Ochieng procured a phone and fraudulently registered a SIM card used to coordinate the killing, which was later disposed of after the attack.

The five suspects have all denied the murder charge after the Director of Public Prosecutions consolidated two cases initially filed separately at the Kibera and Milimani law courts. They are accused of killing the legislator on April 30, 2025, at around 7:40 pm, near the City Mortuary roundabout along Ngong Road in Kilimani, Nairobi County.