BREAKING: Popular Lawmaker Shot Dead in Suspected Targeted Assassination, Police React 

Popular Lawmaker Shot Dead in Suspected Targeted Assassination, Police React

 

 

A popular lawmaker Charles Were was shot dead in what authorities suspect was a targeted assassination, sending shockwaves through the nation’s political establishment and prompting calls for swift justice.

 

The fatal shooting took place on Wednesday evening around 7:30 p.m. along Ngong Road in Nairobi, as Were’s vehicle came to a halt at a traffic light.

 

According to police reports, the assailant approached the car from a motorcycle — a common mode of transport known locally as a boda boda — and fired at the passenger side before fleeing the scene with the rider.

 

Eyewitnesses described the attack as swift and precise, reinforcing suspicions that the act was premeditated. Early police investigations have supported this theory, suggesting that the murder was not random but rather a calculated hit.

 

Charles Were, a vocal member of Kenya’s Parliament representing the Kasipul constituency in western Kenya, belonged to the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) led by veteran politician Raila Odinga.

 

Odinga responded with visible grief and outrage, calling the killing a “brutal and cold-blooded assassination” in a statement posted to social media. “This is a dark day for our democracy,” he added.

 

While Kenya is widely regarded as one of East Africa’s more politically stable countries, the assassination of a sitting member of parliament is a rare and deeply unsettling occurrence. The killing has reignited public fears over political violence and insecurity, especially in the lead-up to local elections scheduled for next year.

 

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility, and the motive behind the murder remains unclear. However, security agencies have launched a full-scale investigation to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.

 

Were had been known for his outspoken stance on governance issues and had recently supported bipartisan talks aimed at easing political tensions. His death comes at a delicate time, as opposition leaders like Odinga have shown signs of warming relations with President William Ruto’s administration to address the country’s mounting economic challenges.

 

Leaders across the political divide have condemned the killing and urged calm as investigations proceed. Kenyans now wait anxiously for answers in a case that could have significant implications for national unity and the country’s democratic health.

 

Police have appealed to the public for any information that could aid the investigation.