Investigations into the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Were have narrowed in on a suspect captured trailing the lawmaker moments before he was shot dead on Valley Road. The MP was fatally shot at close range by a lone gunman, who fled the scene on a sport bike that had been waiting nearby.
Detectives have reviewed CCTV footage and gathered witness testimonies from the MP’s driver and bodyguard, who were with him throughout the day. On Thursday, the investigation extended to Parliament, where Were had spent most of his day attending to legislative duties. He departed Parliament shortly before 7:00 p.m., accompanied by both his driver and bodyguard.
The MP’s vehicle was first spotted on City Hall Way before turning onto Wabera Street, where it stopped briefly. During the stop, the bodyguard entered a nearby M-Pesa outlet and deposited Ksh.20,000 into the MP’s mobile account. CCTV cameras in the area captured a man in a hood and carrying a bag loitering nearby, appearing to monitor the vehicle.
At 7:19 p.m., the vehicle was seen leaving Wabera Street and proceeding along Kenyatta Avenue. To avoid traffic, the driver rerouted via Ralph Bunche Road and Argwings Kodhek Road before joining Valley Road, where congestion had slowed them down.
As they waited at a red light at 7:40 p.m., the suspect—now seen riding pillion on a sport bike—jumped off, approached the vehicle, and opened fire. He shot the MP four times, hitting him in the chest and hand, before running back to the motorbike and fleeing with the rider toward Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The bodyguard, seated behind the MP, was caught off guard but quickly took cover, then attempted to chase the attackers without success. He rushed back to assist the wounded MP, who was bleeding heavily and pleading for help. The team drove him to Nairobi Hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Both the driver and bodyguard survived the ambush without injuries. The attack, executed in under a minute, occurred during peak hour on a major city road.
