Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have been granted by a Nairobi court 30 days to detain four suspects in connection with the murder of the late Kasipul Member of Parliament, Charles Ong’ondo Were.
On Monday, May 5, 2025, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court approved the DCI’s request to continue holding the suspects William Shighali, Juma Haikal, Douglas Wambugu, and David Kagame as investigations into the April 30 shooting continue.
In an application filed jointly by the DCI and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), investigators requested that the four be held at Ruaraka, Muthaiga, Capitol Hill, and Kilimani police stations, or at any other suitable station as needed during the investigation.
“That the respondents be held… for a period of 30 days or any other police station within the Republic of Kenya as the investigations may dictate,” the miscellaneous application stated.
In a sworn affidavit, Investigating Officer (IO) Oliver Nabonwe stated that the four are being investigated for murder, contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.
MP Were was shot dead inside his car near the City Mortuary roundabout along Valley Road in Nairobi.
According to Nabonwe, CCTV footage retrieved from various sources shows individuals resembling the suspects trailing the MP’s car before the fatal shooting.
Witnesses also gave physical descriptions that match some of the suspects, prompting the need to conduct identification parades.
The IO added that the DCI needs additional time to analyze CCTV footage from the Integrated Command, Control, and Communication (IC3) system and private security cameras along the route the MP used.
Furthermore, phone data revealed that the four were in constant communication before, during, and after the incident and were present near the scenes the MP’s vehicle passed through.
During the arrests, investigators recovered multiple mobile phones believed to contain vital evidence.
In addition, live ammunition and a spent cartridge were found in the homes of Shighali and Haikal, which are yet to be examined by ballistics experts.
“Similarly, during the arrest of the first and second respondents, some live rounds and a spent cartridge were recovered from their respective houses which are yet to be forwarded to the ballistics for examination,” the affidavit reads.
The DCI further disclosed plans to record statements from witnesses in Kasipul Constituency (Homa Bay County) and visit several crime scenes and the MP’s office to establish his final movements before his death.
