ODM leaders have demanded a thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was gunned down by unknown assailants on Wednesday evening near the City Mortuary roundabout in Nairobi.
The leaders described the incident as a politically motivated assassination and accused state agencies of failing to act on multiple reports the legislator had made about threats to his life.
Led by ODM Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, the leaders have threatened to withdraw support from the broad-based government if the killers of the MP are not identified and brought to justice before his burial.
“We will not take it lying down, it will not happen. We have counted one too many but this is now a wrong number. Were had his people, Were was killed like a chicken, he was humiliated like a thief and Were never stole from anybody,” said wanga
Wanga also claimed there is an active online campaign to mislead the public about the circumstances surrounding Were’s death.
“The disinformation that has flooded social media is not by coincidence. It is well orchestrated, it well mobilized, it is well funded, it is well run and the idea is to cover up the murder of Were,” she said.
Wanga further disclosed that Were had, on numerous occasions, reported threats to his life, including formal communication to the Inspector General of Police.
“Times that we cannot count Were reported that his life was in danger, I know that he even wrote to the Inspector General of Police and I want the IG of Police to tell us, when Were reported all these issues what did he do about it?” she posed.
National Assembly Minority Leader and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed termed the incident a politically motivated assassination intended to silence Were.
“Sisi kama ODM we are demanding to know what was the motive, who was behind it and what are the reasons why our MP Ong’ondo Were was killed. Tunataka kujua nani amekua nyuma yake, motive ni nini na kwanini amefanya njama ya kuua kiongozi wetu.”
So far, police have arrested one suspect linked to the murder and recovered a getaway vehicle used during the incident.
