Kenyan Opposition MP is Killed in ‘Targeted’ Shooting in Nairobi

Charles Were, MP, Member for Kasipul Constituency

Kenyan Member of Parliament Charles Ong'ondo Were was shot dead in Nairobi on Wednesday evening in what police have described as a targeted and premeditated attack. The lawmaker, who represented Kasipul constituency in western Kenya, was ambushed while his vehicle was stopped at a traffic light on Ngong Road.

The blood-stained vehicle in which the politician was shot dead on April 30, 2025, in Nairobi

According to a statement from Kenya’s police service, the attacker was a passenger on a motorcycle that pulled up next to Were’s car. A witness reported that the pillion passenger dismounted, approached the passenger side of the vehicle, and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene on the motorcycle.

Were was accompanied by his bodyguard and driver, both of whom were unharmed during the attack. They immediately rushed the wounded legislator to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police officers and hospital staff carry the casket with body of Kasipul member of parliament Charles Ong'ondo Were at the Nairobi Hospital after he was shot dead by unknown gunmen riding on a motorcycle in Nairobi

Authorities have confirmed that the nature of the shooting strongly suggests it was a planned assassination. Kenya’s President William Ruto has called for a full investigation, urging law enforcement to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable. In a statement issued on Thursday, Ruto emphasized the need for justice and transparency in resolving the case.

Kenyan Parliament Speaker Moses Wetang'ula mourned Were as a “fearless and distinguished” public servant and expressed devastation over the violent killing. Were was elected on the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket and had been serving his second term following his reelection in 2022. Known for his vocal stance in opposition politics, Were was a key figure in ODM and a close ally of party leader Raila Odinga.

The MP was shot by a passenger on a motorbike as he was in a car on the major Ngong Road which runs through the capital

Odinga, who was President Ruto’s main rival in the 2022 general election, described the late MP as a “gallant son of the soil” and condemned the assassination in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Were is no more; mercilessly and in cold blood, gunned down by an assassin in Nairobi this evening.”

While Kenya has remained relatively stable in a region often troubled by conflict, political assassinations are rare and this killing has shocked the nation. The attack underscores rising concerns about political violence amid ongoing efforts by both the government and opposition to cooperate on pressing national issues such as economic reform and electoral integrity.