NAIROBI, KENYA — Detectives have made significant progress in the investigation into the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament (MP) Charles Ong’ondo Were, recovering two pistols, one of which is believed to be the murder weapon.
The recovered pistol will undergo ballistic analysis to determine its ownership and usage history.
The weapons were discovered in a residence located in the Chokaa area of Kayole on Tuesday night, following an extensive daylong search operation, according to police reports.
Additionally, detectives seized a bag and shoes believed to have been worn by a primary suspect on the day of the fatal shooting.
Police officials have characterized these recoveries as a major breakthrough in the ongoing investigation. “This is a breakthrough because the recoveries are key in the case,” stated an officer involved in the probe.
Previous ballistic tests on recovered bullets revealed that the murder weapon had been used in at least three other criminal incidents in the Komarock and Kayole areas of Nairobi, as well as in Ndumberi, Kiambu County. This determination was made following an analysis of spent bullets retrieved from the crime scene and the MP’s body.
MP Were, who was serving his second term in Parliament, was fatally shot on April 30 along Valley Road, near the City Mortuary. His driver and bodyguard, who was seated in the rear of the vehicle, escaped unharmed. The bodyguard reportedly exited the vehicle as the gunman fled on a motorcycle, briefly pursued the assailant, and then returned to transport the injured MP to a nearby hospital.
Detectives have been meticulously retracing the MP’s movements and reconstructing the crime scene, with assistance from the bodyguard and driver.
Four suspects are currently in custody in connection with the murder. One suspect was found in possession of Sh615,000 at his Nairobi residence, believed to be payment for the crime. Investigators are working to determine the source of the money and the motive behind the killing.
Police have also recovered several police uniforms and multiple mobile phones, which are undergoing forensic examination. The suspects, William Imoli Shighali alias Omar Shakur, Juma Ali Haikal, Douglas Muchiri Wambugu, and David Mihigo Kagame, will remain in custody for 30 calendar days pending further investigations.
Shighali, Wambugu, and Kagame were apprehended at a lounge in Roysambu. Subsequent investigations led detectives to the Pangani home of police officer Juma Ali Hikal, where a vehicle suspected of being used in the murder was located.
Court documents indicate that the suspects communicated before and after the assassination.
CCTV footage, described by investigators as crucial evidence, shows the suspect, believed to be Shighali, trailing MP Were along Wabera Street in Nairobi. He was allegedly carrying a bag believed to contain the murder weapon and wearing police boots later found at Hikal’s residence.
A search of Hikal’s residence uncovered ammunition, teargas canisters, and other paraphernalia, which are currently undergoing analysis. At Shighali’s residence, officers found police uniforms, over USD 4,800 in cash, and multiple mobile phones, which are also being examined. “Thousands of minutes of CCTV footage have been reviewed to reconstruct the final moments of the late MP,” the prosecution informed the court. “Nine live rounds of ammunition and teargas canisters were also found at the second respondent’s home.”
Investigators suspect that the murder was carried out by an organized criminal network with substantial financial backing. Police are actively pursuing additional suspects, including a police officer believed to have played a key role in orchestrating the assassination.
This officer allegedly used a newly registered and subsequently deactivated mobile number, registered under a false identity, to coordinate the operation.
A JKIA Chief Magistrate’s Court has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) permission to detain the four suspects for 30 days pending further investigations.
