Ong'ondo Were: MPs Demand More Security following Kasipul MP's Targeted Killing

• The Members of Parliament have voiced fears for their own safety in the wake of the targeted killing of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were
• The MPs have also raised concerns over the wider impact of Were’s killing, questioning how safe ordinary citizens are if a legislator could be targeted so easily
• The late Were was shot dead on Wednesday, April 30, by a gunman on a motorbike along the City Mortuary roundabout

Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and Current Affairs in Kenya

The murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were has sent shockwaves through Parliament, with lawmakers now raising alarm over their safety amid growing fears of targeted attacks.

The late MP was gunned down on Wednesday, April 30, by an assailant on a motorbike near the City Mortuary roundabout moments after he left parliament.

Did MPs demand more security?

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Speaking on Saturday, May 3, during a visit to the Karen residence of the late Kasipul MP, the legislators urged the government to enhance their security.

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, who chairs the parliamentary funeral committee, said Were’s killing has left many MPs shaken.

"Even yesterday, the Members of Parliament who were here feared to leave here beyond dusk. This is because you cannot know now who is safe," Kaluma said.

They contended that if an MP can be gunned down in broad daylight despite being under protection, the situation is even more dire for ordinary Kenyans who move around without weapons or any form of security.

"If a Member of Parliament can be killed in the manner honourable Were was killed, who in Kenya then is safe? And that is something for the police to answer. The casual manner in which the MP lost his life is something that can downgrade the sense of security of the country even the eye of the international community," Kaluma added.

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Were’s death has drawn mixed reactions across the country, both online and offline, with some showing little to no sympathy over the legislator’s killing.

The response has angered a section of MPs who are now urging Kenyans to show sensitivity as the late MP’s family mourns.

"Beyond a politician, who is dead, there is a father of two young girls who are grieving. We have lost 'utu' as a nation, and each time we say negative things, you think it affects us but it affects you as well," MP Millie Odhiambo said.

Did Ong'ondo Were raise security concerns?

A disturbing video surfaced showing Were predicting his own death, shortly before he was shot in Nairobi in what authorities labelled a deliberate and premeditated attack.

The undated footage, which had gone viral on social media, showed the late legislator expressing his fears about a meticulously planned plot to take his life.

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He described an alleged scheme involving specific individuals, plainclothes officers, and hired youths who were intended to create unrest at a meeting he was supposed to attend.

Were had accused his political adversaries of recruiting youth from Kisumu and Migori to incite disorder, with the goal of assassinating him amidst the chaos.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke