Video Emerges of MP Ong'ondo Were Telling Raila Odinga, ODM Supporters How He Wanted to Be Buried
- A resurfaced video has shown slain Kasipul MP Charles Ong'ondo Were speaking about how he wished to be honoured upon his death
- The MP made the remarks in 2024, calling on supporters to give him a grand send-off wrapped in the party flag
- Ong'ondo, a vocal ODM loyalist, was shot dead by assailants on a motorbike along Ngong Road in Nairobi, sparking calls for justice
TUKO.co.ke journalist Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
A video has emerged showing the late Kasipul MP Charles Ong'ondo Were speaking about how he wished to be honoured upon his death
Source: UGC
The video, recorded during the 2024 burial of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Migori county chairman Philip Odero Makabong'o in Rongo, captures Ong'ondo addressing a large gathering of mourners and party supporters.
The late MP, known for his loyalty to ODM, used the occasion to rally support for the party while delivering an emotionally charged message to his followers.
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“We’ve seen there is profit in politics,” he told the crowd, directing his remarks to ODM party leader Raila Odinga, who was also in attendance.
The lawmaker said he would join hands to boost ODM's popularity and counter the rising influence of President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party in the region.
What were Ong'ondo Were's wishes upon death?
Referencing the solidarity the party members had showed during Makabongo's funeral, Ong'ondo said he wished the same when his time would come.
“When I rest, I ask our people of ODM to wrap me in a (party) flag, and you come in big numbers,” he said amid loud cheers.
A visibly moved Ong'ondo said he did not have much more to say beyond expressing solidarity with the bereaved Makabong'o family.
“I don’t have much to say. We Catholics know that if you worship God and build the temple of God, life is in you," he said.
Tragically, the MP lost his life on Wednesday, April 30, when gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on him along Ngong Road in Nairobi.
Police condemned the incident, saying the lawmaker's killing was pre-meditated and precisely executed.
In a statement, the National Police Service (NPS) vowed to hunt down the killers of the MP, asking members of the public who may have witnessed the incident to help with investigations.
Source: Facebook
What did Raila Odinga say about Ong'ondo Were's death?
ODM party leader Raila Odinga expressed his sorrow following the tragic death of the Kasipul MP. Odinga paid tribute to the late legislator, describing him as a gallant son of the soil.
In an emotional condolence message shared on social media, Raila condemned the killing and said the lawmaker had been cruelly and in cold blood executed by an assassin.
He wished the MP a peaceful rest, adding a Luo phrase, “Dhi gi kwe ogai ma milambo,” loosely translating to "go in peace, son of the South."
What did Ong'ondo Were's family say?
The family of the slain MP has called on the police to speed up investigations into the murder of the MP and bring the perpetrators to book.
The family insisted that the lawmaker's killers are known to the public and the police as Were had severally mentioned them in public forums and even filed a report with the police.
They linked the cold-blooded murder of their kin to local politics.
"It is either the Kasipul Kabondo parliamentary seat or the upcoming ODM grassroots elections in Homa Bay county. The information is out there because the MP mentioned names of the people who were targeting him. The police should move with speed and deal with those suspects," said a family member.
Were's family also refuted claims that he had orchestrated a spate of violence in Kasipul that left tens of constituents with lifetime injuries.
The family argued that the allegations were part of a wider scheme to cover up the brutal murder of their kin.
They called out the police for failing to protect the lawmaker despite providing them with relevant information regarding his security.
Masolo Mabonga, HOD Current Affairs and Politics, updated this article with details on the family's response to the MP's murder.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
