Kaluma banks on govt to realize justice for slain Ong’ondo Were
Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Kaluma has expressed optimism that the killers of slain Kasipul Member of Parliament (MP) Ong’ondo Were will be brought to book.
In a statement shared on his X page on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Kaluma stated that they will leverage their position in the broad-based arrangement to deliver justice for the fallen MP.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) legislator has been among the vocal figures demanding accountability following the death and reiterated the sentiments he made on Saturday, May 3, 2025, during an address to mourners in Were’s rural home in Homa Bay.
“The Government of Kenya – the broad-based government – will not rest until the killers of the honourable Charles Ongondo Were, MP, are all brought to book and justice is done. We are in BBG to secure the human rights, justice, and good governance of all Kenyans,” his statement read.
Kaluma’s remarks come as authorities stepped up investigations into the murder ahead of the MP’s burial at his Kachien home on Friday, May 9, 2025.
In a statement dated Wednesday, May 7, 2025, police disclosed that they have recovered two pistols believed to have been used in the assassination of the MP.
The sleuths have also confirmed the arrest of two persons of interest in the fatal shooting of Were, namely Edwin Oduor Odhiambo, also known as Abdul Rashid, and Dennis Sewe Munyasi.
“Following the previous updates from the National Police Service regarding the tragic shooting of Hon. Charles Ong’ondo Were, we would like to provide the public with the latest information on the investigation’s progress. Two additional suspects have been arrested: Edwin Oduor Odhiambo, also known as Abdul Rashid, and Dennis Sewe Munyasi,” DCI’s John Marete stated.
The crime busters revealed that upon their arrest, the suspects led the investigators to Edwin Odhiambo’s house, where two pistols, a Retay Falcon and a Sarsilmaz, were recovered.
A bag and footwear matching the description of those worn by one of the suspects at the scene of the incident were also recovered. All items have been submitted for forensic examination.
The DCI’s fresh arrest follows after the directorate on Friday, May 2, 2025, revealed narrowing down to potential persons of interest in the killing.
In the update delivered two days after the MP’s fatal shooting, Marete confirmed dispatching a team of detectives from the agency’s Homicide Bureau, supported by forensic experts from the National Forensic Laboratory, to the scene of crime.
Detectives have forensically reconstructed Hon. Were’s movements from Parliament to the location of the shooting. This detailed analysis has yielded significant leads, enabling investigators to narrow down to potential suspects. While the motive for this heinous act remains under investigation, preliminary investigations suggest that this was a targeted and premeditated act. The DCI is pursuing all angles to uncover the circumstances surrounding this incident”Marete clarified.
A postmortem report by government pathologist Johansen Oduor on Monday, May 5, 2025, indicated that the late MP died from bullet wounds, which ruptured his heart, lungs and blood vessels.
