PHOTOS: Ong’ondo Were’s requiem mass in Westlands

In a sombre gathering filled with solemn reflections and calls for justice, mourners convened at the Consolata Shrine in Westlands on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, to honour the life of the late Kasipul Member of Parliament, Charles Ong’ondo Were.

The requiem mass, held just days ahead of his final burial, drew lawmakers, party officials, and grieving family members who came together in quiet reverence.

The late MP, a vocal figure in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), was remembered not just for his political voice but for his presence as a father and friend.

Mourners were clad in black with a touch of orange – subtle nods to both mourning and the ODM colours – as hymns and prayers echoed through the church. Outside, a stream of mourners waited in line, many holding photos and flowers, others simply bowing their heads in silence.

Among the most emotional moments of the mass was a tribute from the MP’s daughter, Gynsen Were, who bravely addressed the congregation.

Fighting back tears, she spoke of her father not as a public figure, but as the man who called her msichana wangu, her little girl.

“This is my first birthday without my dad. This was always my biggest fear. Who will call me daughter now?” she said.

Her words stirred the congregation, many of whom wiped away tears as she read from a handwritten letter she said she had been composing since the day of his death.

Were’s son, Boid Were, spoke with equal emotion but a sharper edge, urging authorities to pursue not just those arrested in connection with his father’s assassination, but those who may have orchestrated the attack from the shadows.

“We are grateful for the kindness and support. But justice is not complete with arrests alone. We want the masterminds, the sponsors, the ones who called the shots,” he said.

The late MP’s casket arrived at the church shortly after 1:40 pm. in a black hearse, flanked by Members of Parliament, many of them ODM allies, walking solemnly behind.

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, who chairs the burial committee, confirmed that Ong’ondo’s body would be flown to Kabunde Airstrip in Homa Bay on Thursday for public viewing before his burial on Friday, May 9, 2025.

Charles Ong’ondo Were was gunned down on April 30 along Valley Road near City Mortuary in Nairobi in what police describe as a targeted killing. An autopsy revealed he was shot five times.

The attack has sparked widespread outrage and renewed calls for increased protection of public officials and a thorough probe into political violence.

As the church bells tolled and mourners slowly filed out of the shrine, one sentiment echoed louder than the rest: justice must follow grief.

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