DPP approves charges as driver becomes witness in MP Were murder case

Five suspects will be charged with the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were after the Director of Public Prosecutions approved murder charges based on evidence gathered by investigators.

The suspects will appear in court on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, with three to be arraigned at the Kibera High Court and two at the Milimani High Court.

Those expected in Kibera are William Imoli, also known as Imo, Edwin Oduor Odhiambo, alias Machuani, and Ebel Ochieng, known as Dave Calo.

At the Milimani court, Allan Omondi Ogola who served as the MP’s bodyguard and is also a police officer and Isaac Kuria, also called Kush, will face charges. Police believe Kuria was the hitman.

Calo is a director at the Lake Basin Development Authority in Kisumu.

According to investigators, the five worked with others not before the court to kill Were on April 30, 2025, at around 7:40 pm.

The shooting happened at the City Mortuary Roundabout on Valley Road in Kilimani, Nairobi.

The investigation, which has been linked to local political disputes, shows the murder was planned long before it was carried out.

Police say meetings to organise the killing were held both inside and outside Nairobi.

Initially, twelve people were arrested in connection with the murder. Five were released without charges after no link to the killing was found, while some were later turned into witnesses.

Among those now expected to testify is the MP’s driver, Walter Awino Owino, and another man, Dennis Sewe Manyasi.

On Tuesday, the JKIA magistrate’s court released both after the prosecution said they will be witnesses in the case.

Outside court, the two held emotional prayers with family members after their release.

Officials said certain conditions had to be met for the pair to become state witnesses.

In an earlier part of the probe, one suspect claimed he received a down payment of Sh850,000 to help execute the murder.

Police later recovered some of that amount in US dollars from his home.

The killing has stirred political tensions in Homa Bay County, with investigators pointing to local succession battles as part of the motive.