Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sleuths are confident they will soon apprehend the gunman who ended the life of Kasipul MP Charles Were on Wednesday night.
In a statement on Friday, May 2, the DCI said a forensic reconstruction of the MP's last moments has directed them to crucial leads they believe will enable them to nab the killer.
The statement came as detectives work to uncover the circumstances that led to the MP's fatal shooting at Ngong Road on Wednesday, April 30.
The DCI said a joint team of detectives and forensic experts from the National Forensic Laboratory have made significant progress in the investigation.
At the same time, an autopsy on the body is yet to be conducted, with reports indicating that the Chief Government Pathologist, Dr Johansen Odour, is scheduled to lead the process on Monday. The outcome will aid the ongoing investigation.
“Detectives have forensically reconstructed Hon. Were’s movements from Parliament to the location of the shooting. This detailed analysis has yielded significant leads, enabling investigators to narrow down to potential suspects,” the DCI stated.
Aside from the forensic reconstruction, the investigative body further noted that a “meticulous examination of the crime scene and collection of critical evidence” had contributed significantly to the investigation.
Were had earlier claimed that his life was in danger. The DCI said the motive of the brutal killing, though still under investigation, pointed to a targeted and premeditated act.
This development comes after CCTV footage showed the slain MP’s last moments revealed that his alleged killers had been tracking him immediately after he left Parliament Buildings around 7 pm. Were was gunned down near the City Mortuary roundabout. He was reportedly shot four times, in the chest and the head.
After leaving the National Assembly chambers, Were, who was in the company of his bodyguard and driver, headed to City Hall Way before joining Wabera Street.
While on Wabera Street, the legislator's bodyguard stopped the car, and walked into an M-Pesa shop, where he deposited Sh20,000 on behalf of his boss.
The CCTV footage showed a man reportedly monitoring the movement of the MP’s car. The footage captured the man clad in a hood and carrying a bag.
At around 7:30 pm, the MP and his team left Wabera Street and headed towards Kenyatta Avenue. To avoid traffic, the driver changed the route and took Ralph Bunche Road.
CCTV footage later showed Were’s car on Argwings Kodhek Road before joining Valley Road, where his vehicle stopped at traffic lights.
Clips obtained by DCI officers showed that the suspect, who had initially been tracking the MP’s car at Wabera Street, was still monitoring it at Valley Road.
Moments later, the man disembarked from a motorcycle and went around the car. He fired at the car, four times, at close range. The first shot shattered the window, while the subsequent shots hit the MP in the hand and chest.
Attempts by the victim's bodyguard to pursue the assailants proved futile. The bodyguard then took the MP to Nairobi Hospital. The MP was pronounced dead on arrival.
MP Were is set to be buried on Friday, May 9, according to the funeral committee drawn from the family and ODM party. The committee is headed by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
