Burial of slain MP Ong’ondo Were Underway in Kasipul
The burial ceremony of slain Kasipul Constituency MP Charles Ong’ondo Were is underway.
The ceremony is happening at the Karabok Primary School in Homa Bay County, where a host of senior government leaders are attending.
The body of the MP landed at the Kabunde Airstrip on Thursday, May 8, 2025, and was escorted by a convoy of vehicles as it snaked its way through Homa Bay town, Kendu Bay, Kadongo, Sikri, Oyugis Town and stop at Agoro Sare Primary School, where locals were given an opportunity to view the remains of the MP.
Family man
The late MP was mourned as a loyal organiser in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party and a family man, who had managed to unite his people despite being polygamous.
“These children will not fight one another after the death of Were because he has managed to unite his two wives and children into one big family,” Kisumu Town West MP Rozah Buyu said during the burial.
Among the prominent people attending the funeral service are National Assembly speaker Moses Wetang’ula, cabinet secretaries John Mbadi and Opiyo Wandayi and Wycliffe Oparanya and a host of other leaders, including ODM deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi and Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna.
Tragic death
Were was shot dead along Ngong Road when he was heading to his home in Nairobi on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Police recounted that the legislator was trailed by a hitman on a motorcycle who alighted from the pillion of the motorcycle, walked to the passenger seat of the Toyota Crown the MP was in and opened fire, killing him on the spot.
The MP was in the company of his driver and bodyguard at the time of the shooting near the City Mortuary roundabout. The two, who escaped unhurt, have since been arrested and detained as police look into clues to unravel the mystery of the murder.
So far, the total number of detained persons of interest is 10, including the latest being a former political rival of the late MP.
The other people arrested are individuals suspected of having participated in the actual assassination of the legislator or of aiding in the crime.
Following the tragic incident, the speaker of the National Assembly has called on the MPs to bring back their bodyguards for fresh vetting.
Local politics also took centre stage during the funeral ceremony, with a section of leaders appealing to the people of Kasipul Constituency to elect Were’s son from his late first wife, Boyd Were, to succeed his father.
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Arnold Ngure
General reporter with a bias for crime reporting, human interest stories and tech. Reach out via: [email protected]
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