The spirited probe to unmask the killers behind the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament (MP) Charles Ong’ondo Were has made a significant stride after the murder weapon was found.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja stated that a ballistics report directly linked a pistol recovered from a suspect to the bullets that killed MP Were on April 30.
IG Kanja stated that the gun was recovered from two suspects who were discovered with two pistols – a Retay Falcon pistol and a Sarsilmaz pistol – a bag, and footwear that matched the description of items worn by one of the suspects on the crime scene.
“The ballistics report we received unequivocally links the Sarsilmaz pistol recovered from the residence of one of the suspects to the fatal shots that took his life,” he stated.
The ballistic report also linked the weapon to three separate robbery incidents across Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
The police IG stated that an autopsy performed on May 2 at the Lee Funeral Home by Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor revealed that MP Were had five gunshot wounds, all of which entered his body from the left side.
Two bullets were recovered during the autopsy, and a third was found in the deceased’s vehicle, which were submitted for ballistic analysis.
A report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said that Edwin Oduor Odhiambo, alias Abdul Rashid, and Dennis Sewe Munyasi were arrested on Wednesday at an undisclosed location.
They led the investigators to Odhiambo’s house upon their arrest, where detectives found the firearms.
Meanwhile, four suspects directly linked to the crime scene, some of them believed to be members of the ‘Mjahidini’ gang, are in police custody.
The organised criminal gang is known for armed robberies in Nairobi’s Eastlands areas.
They were arrested on May 4 and later presented before the JKIA Court, where a 30-day custodial order was given to facilitate further inquiries. Their case is set for mention on June 5.
Additionally, two more key suspects were arrested on Wednesday, bringing the number of suspects in custody to ten.
Homa Bay politician and businessman Philip Nahashon Aroko was summoned by the DCI on Wednesday evening, where he addressed the press and denied any involvement in the MP’s killing.
His lawyer, Danstan Omari, later confirmed that Aroko, from the DCI headquarters, presented himself to the Gigiri Police Station, where he was booked and will spend the night until Thursday, when he will be interrogated.
Detectives have been reconstructing MP Were’s movements from Parliament to the site of the shooting, generating key leads that have helped identify potential suspects.
MP Were’s driver and aide have been taken into custody to assist in the ongoing probe.
