The fatal shooting of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were on April 30 has sent shockwaves across Kenya, triggering a national reflection on the country’s dark legacy of political assassinations. Were, a vocal legislator serving his second term, was gunned down in broad daylight along Nairobi’s busy Ngong Road, reigniting fears over the security of public officials.
According to police, assailants riding a motorcycle intercepted his vehicle before opening fire, fatally injuring him on the spot. No arrests had been made by Thursday, and investigations are ongoing.
Trail of Blood: A History of Political Killings in Kenya
Kenya’s post-independence history is marred by a troubling series of high-profile political murders. The killing of Were adds to a grim list of lawmakers and leaders whose lives have been abruptly cut short—many under unresolved or controversial circumstances.
Pio Gama Pinto: The Independence Icon Silenced
On February 24, 1965, Pio Gama Pinto—a member of the House of Representatives and fierce advocate of Kenya’s liberation struggle—was assassinated outside his Nairobi home. Only 37 years old, Pinto had played a key role in supporting the Mau Mau resistance and was instrumental in providing legal and material aid to imprisoned leaders such as Jomo Kenyatta.
His killer, Kisilu Mutua, served 36 years behind bars but maintained his innocence until his death in 2023. Pinto remains one of the few non-Africans detained during the colonial state of emergency, making his murder all the more symbolic in Kenya’s nationalist journey.
Tom Mboya: Visionary Cut Down in His Prime
Tom Mboya, a charismatic minister and Nairobi Central MP, was gunned down on July 5, 1969, outside a pharmacy along what is today Moi Avenue. The 39-year-old was a rising political force, and his assassination sent ripples across the continent. His killer, Nahashon Isaac Njenga Njoroge, was tried, sentenced to death, and executed that same year.
JM Kariuki: A Mutilated Legacy
The brutal killing of JM Kariuki, a populist MP for Nyandarua North, remains one of Kenya’s most controversial political crimes. After disappearing in March 1975, his body was discovered in Ngong Forest, bearing signs of torture, including gouged-out eyes and acid burns. A young herder, Musaite ole Tunta, stumbled upon the remains. No one was ever convicted, and with Tunta’s death in 2023, a key eyewitness account was lost forever.
Robert Ouko: The Diplomatic Death That Sparked National Outrage
Foreign Affairs Minister and Kisumu Town MP Robert Ouko was found dead on February 13, 1990, near his rural home in Koru. His charred body led to widespread outcry and suspicion of high-level involvement. A judicial commission chaired by Justice Evans Gicheru interviewed 176 witnesses, implicating senior officials including Minister Nicholas Biwott. However, President Daniel arap Moi disbanded the probe, calling the findings speculative, and no one was charged.
Tony Ndilinge: Killed After Warning of Danger
Kilome MP Tony Ndilinge was fatally shot on August 1, 2001, outside a bar in Githurai. Just days earlier, the 47-year-old politician had expressed concerns about his safety. Though he had briefly fallen out with then-ruling party Kanu, he had rejoined and was campaigning for its candidates before his death. The attackers were never found.
Melitus Mugabe Were: A Night of Terror in Woodley
Embakasi MP Melitus Mugabe Were was killed on January 29, 2008, outside his home in Nairobi’s Woodley Estate. He had returned from a long day of parliamentary sessions and party meetings. As he waited for his gate to open, gunmen ambushed him. His wife rushed him to Nairobi Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. In 2015, three suspects—James Omondi, Wycliffe Walimbwa Simiyu, and Paul Otieno—were convicted and sentenced to death.
David Kimutai Too: Tragedy of a Love Triangle
Two days after Were’s death in 2008, Ainamoi MP David Kimutai Too was shot dead in Eldoret alongside police constable Eunice Chepkwony. Investigations revealed a love triangle. The perpetrator, Andrew Maoche—a traffic officer and Eunice’s former lover—was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced in 2009. The court dismissed his self-defense claim after forensic analysis showed Chepkwony did not discharge her firearm.
George Muchai: A Brazen Attack in Nairobi’s CBD
Kabete MP and former unionist George Muchai was killed on February 7, 2015, in Nairobi’s city centre. Armed assailants blocked his vehicle before spraying it with bullets, killing him, his driver, and two bodyguards. The attackers fled with their firearms. Seven suspects are currently on trial in Nairobi’s High Court for murder and robbery with violence.
A Nation in Reflection
The assassination of Charles Ong’ondo Were has reopened painful memories for a country still grappling with impunity and political instability. Despite repeated promises by successive governments to safeguard political leaders and address unresolved killings, justice remains elusive in many of these cases.