Heart-hit: Pathologist confirms cause of MP Were’s death

A postmortem conducted on the body of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were has confirmed he died from internal bleeding caused by five gunshot wounds, some of which struck vital organs, including the heart.

Government Chief Pathologist Johansen Oduor, who carried out the autopsy at Lee Funeral Home on Monday, said the nature of the injuries left little chance of survival.

"The nature and extent of the injuries made survival impossible," Oduor said.

The examination was conducted in the presence of family lawyers Apollo Mboya and Peter Kopere, along with senior officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), led by Head of Homicide Martin Nyuguto.

At the same time, four suspects were arraigned before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Magistrate’s Court, where Magistrate Irene Gichobi allowed police to hold them for 30 days to continue investigations.

The suspects were arrested on Sunday in connection with the MP’s murder..

Investigators had said they had not yet recovered the murder weapon and were planning further searches in the homes of the suspects.

MP Were was shot and killed on April 30, 2025, along Valley Road near City Mortuary in Nairobi.

The suspects arrested include a serving police officer.

They were identified as William Imoli Shighali, Juma Ali Hikal, Douglas Muchiri Wambugu, and David Mihigo Kagame.

The motive behind the killing has not yet been disclosed, and none of the suspects has revealed where the weapon used in the shooting was hidden.

President William Ruto promised tough action, saying the government will do everything possible to bring the MP’s killers to justice.

"Lawlessness, violence cannot be part of our culture. We have a country to protect. Stability, peace, unity of the nation is (sic) a major ingredient in development and growing the economy," he said.

"We will get them, they will not succeed, they will have nowhere to hide, and we will go after their collaborators until we ensure that such an incident does not happen again in the country."

Police have linked some of the arrested suspects to criminal gangs that operate in Nairobi’s Eastlands area.

"Additionally, some of the suspects arrested are members of organised criminal gangs, such as ‘Mjahidin,’ which has been linked to armed robberies in the Eastlands area of Nairobi," said police spokesman Michael Muchiri.