A Kenyan member of parliament was shot and killed in what authorities describe as a targeted and premeditated attack in Nairobi.
Charles Ong’ondo Were, who represented the Kasipul constituency in western Kenya, was fatally shot Wednesday evening while his car was stopped at a traffic light on Ngong Road.
According to police, the assailant was a passenger on a motorcycle that pulled up next to Were’s vehicle. The gunman reportedly approached the car, fired at the passenger side, then fled with the motorcycle driver.
Were was accompanied by his driver and bodyguard, who were unharmed and rushed him to Nairobi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. President William Ruto has called for a thorough investigation, insisting the perpetrators be held accountable.
Parliamentary Speaker Moses Wetang’ula mourned Were as a “fearless and distinguished” lawmaker, while opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose Orange Democratic Movement Were belonged to, called his killing “cold-blooded” and “merciless.”
Were, a vocal opposition figure reelected in 2022, was seen as a key player in national politics. His death is a rare instance of political assassination in Kenya, a country that has remained largely stable despite a region often marked by unrest.
