Kenyan MP Assassinated in Cold Blood: Police Suspect Targeted Killing

Kenyan authorities have reported that the fatal shooting of a Member of Parliament in Nairobi appears to have been a deliberate and premeditated attack. Charles Were, who represented the Kasipul constituency in western Kenya, was gunned down on Wednesday evening while stopped in traffic on Ngong Road, according to a police statement released later that night.

Eyewitnesses told police that the shooter was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle that pulled up alongside Were’s vehicle. Without warning, the assailant approached the passenger side of the car, opened fire, and then fled the scene on the same motorcycle. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. local time.

Police confirmed that the execution-style shooting strongly suggests it was not a random act of violence. “The nature of this crime appears to be both targeted and premeditated,” they said, underscoring the calculated manner in which the attack was carried out.

Political assassinations are rare in Kenya, a country that has maintained relative stability despite regional unrest in East Africa. The murder of an elected official in such a manner has shocked the nation and raised questions about political security.

Were was affiliated with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the main opposition party led by Raila Odinga. Following the attack, Odinga posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter), expressing outrage and sorrow: “Were is no more; mercilessly and in cold blood, gunned down by an assassin in Nairobi this evening.”

Though Odinga disputed the 2022 presidential election results—claiming electoral fraud—he and some members of the opposition have since begun working with President William Ruto to find solutions to Kenya’s political and economic issues. The assassination threatens to destabilize this fragile cooperation.