Detectives have recovered two
pistols, including one believed to have been used in the murder of Kasipul
Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were.
The murder pistol will undergo
ballistic analysis to determine its ownership and usage.
The weapons were found in a house in
the Chokaa area of Kayole on Tuesday night after a daylong search, police said.
Detectives also recovered a bag and
shoes worn by a prime suspect on the day of the murder.
Police termed the recoveries a
breakthrough in the ongoing investigation.
“This is a breakthrough because the
recoveries are key in the case,” said an officer involved in the probe.
Earlier ballistic tests on recovered
bullets revealed that the murder weapon had been used in at least three other
crimes in Komarock and Kayole in Nairobi, and Ndumberi, Kiambu County.
This conclusion followed an analysis of
spent bullets recovered from the crime scene and the MP’s body.
Were, who was serving his second
term in Parliament, was shot and killed on April 30 along Valley Road near the
City Mortuary.
His driver and bodyguard, who was
seated in the back seat, escaped unhurt.
The bodyguard jumped out of the car
as the gunman fled on a getaway motorcycle. Witnesses said he gave a brief
chase before returning to the car and rushing the bleeding MP to nearby Nairobi
Hospital.
Detectives have since been retracing
the MP’s movements and reconstructing scenes with the help of the bodyguard and
driver.
Four suspects are in custody over
the killing.
One of the suspects was found with
Sh615,000 in his Nairobi home, believed to have been payment for the mission.
Detectives are working to establish the source of the money and the motive.
Police also recovered several police uniforms and multiple mobile phones, which are under forensic examination.
The suspects William Imoli Shighali alias Omar Shakur, Juma Ali Haikal, Douglas Muchiri Wambugu, and David Mihigo Kagame will remain in custody for 30 calendar days pending investigations.
Shighali, was arrested in the lounge in Roysambu alongside Wambugu and Kagame.
Police say suspects later led detectives to
the Pangani home of police officer Juma Ali Hikal, where a vehicle alleged to
have been used in the murder was found.
Court documents show the suspects
communicated before and after the assassination.
CCTV footage described by investigators as pivotal showed the suspect, believed to be Shighali, trailing MP Were along Wabera Street in Nairobi.
He was allegedly seen carrying a bag believed to have concealed the
murder weapon and wearing police boots later found at Hikal’s residence.
A search at Hikal’s home, according to police, uncovered
ammunition, teargas canisters, and other paraphernalia currently under
analysis.
At Shighali’s residence, officers allegedly found police uniforms, over USD 4,800 in cash, and multiple mobile phones also
being examined.
“Thousands of minutes of CCTV
footage have been reviewed to reconstruct the final moments of the late MP,”
the prosecution told the court.
“Nine live rounds of ammunition and
teargas canisters were also found at the second respondent’s home.”
Investigators believe the murder may
have been carried out by an organized criminal network with significant
financial backing.
Police are pursuing more suspects,
including another officer suspected of playing a central role in orchestrating
the assassination.
The officer is alleged to have used
a newly registered mobile number, now deactivated and registered under a false
identity, to coordinate the operation.
A JKIA Chief Magistrate’s Court has
granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) permission to detain
the four suspects for 30 days pending further investigations.
