9 in the dock: Full list of those arrested in connection with Ong’ondo Were’s murder

A dramatic murder probe into the assassination of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were has now netted nine persons of interest – including his own driver, bodyguard, a rogue police officer, and a suspected hitman tied to a deadly Nairobi gang.

The MP was shot five times at close range in broad daylight on April 30, 2025, just metres from City Mortuary – a hit police say was executed with military-style precision.

Now, investigators are peeling back layers of betrayal, pointing to a chilling possibility: Were may have been set up by men paid to protect him.

Betrayal from within

On Tuesday night, May 6, 2025, detectives swooped in and arrested Were’s driver, Walter Owino and his bodyguard Allan Omondi Ogolla in Nairobi.

Their phones have been seized and their homes searched, with forensic teams combing through digital evidence and physical traces.

The shocking twist came after prime suspect William Imoli Shighali, alias Omar Shakur, claimed that he had been paid KSh80,000 by the MP’s bodyguard to drop people off near the murder scene.

Hitmen, guns, citywide manhunt

The sting widened further.

In Mihango estate, police nabbed Dennis Sewe Munyasi, who led them straight to his associate Edwin Oduor Odhiambo — also known as Abdi Rashid.

Odhiambo took detectives to an apartment he had rented just two months ago, where they recovered a Retay Falcon, a Sarsilmaz pistol, and nine 9mm bullets.

Also seized: a bag and shoes matching CCTV footage from the scene of the crime.

Another key suspect, Abel Ochieng, was arrested in Nakuru on Wednesday evening, May 7, 2025.

Organised crime, a cop in the mix

Earlier, four other persons of interest had been cornered in a high-stakes operation.

Among them: William Imoli, the suspected triggerman, picked up from Zeitun Lounge in Roysambu, and two accomplices — Douglas Muchiri Wambugu and David Mihigo Kagame.

The trio led detectives to the home of Administration Police officer Juma Ali Hikal, where a getaway car, police boots, and teargas canisters were recovered.

At Imoli’s residence, police found police uniforms, over USD 4,800 in cash, and a stash of mobile phones now under forensic examination.

Investigators believe the suspects were in contact before and after the shooting, plotting every move down to the escape route.

CCTV footage shows Imoli trailing the MP on Wabera Street, carrying what detectives believe was the murder weapon concealed in a bag.

Gang ties, broader conspiracy

Police said several persons of interest are tied to the Mjahidin gang, a brutal outfit notorious for armed robberies across Nairobi’s Eastlands.

According to authorities, the assassination may have been orchestrated by a well-financed criminal network, with more arrests expected in the coming days, including a boda boda rider suspected of helping the assassins flee.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the investigation was progressing quickly and promised the culprits would face the full force of the law.

“It is shocking that those meant to protect him may have been part of the plan. We will make an example of them,” he told residents during a public safety forum in Meru on Wednesday.

The MP’s body was laid to rest in Kasipul on May 9. But his death has ignited public fury and calls for deeper scrutiny into gang infiltration within security services.

Full list of 9 in the dock

1. Walter Owino – Ong’ondo’s driver

2. Allan Omondi Ogolla – Ong’ondo’s bodyguard

3. William Imoli Shighali (Omar Shakur) – suspected hitman

4. Douglas Muchiri Wambugu – person of interest

5. David Mihigo Kagame – person of interest

6. Juma Ali Hikal – administration police officer, owner of getaway car

7. Dennis Sewe Munyasi – the person of interest tracked in Mihango

8. Edwin Oduor Odhiambo (Abdi Rashid) – guns found in his apartment

9. Abel Ochieng – arrested in Nakuru