The National Police Service has confirmed that the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Were was a calculated one after linking the lawmaker's death to an Eastlands-based gang.
In an update provided on Sunday, April 4, three days after Were was fatally shot in Nairobi, the NPS confirmed four suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing.
Some of the arrested suspects, according to NPS, are members of the notorious Mjahidin gang — an organised criminal group linked to a series of armed robberies in Nairobi’s Eastlands area.
“Upon further analysis of previously obtained leads, officers from the National Police Service swiftly conducted an operation and successfully arrested four suspects who had been positively placed at the crime scene,” the NPS said.
According to the NPS, the gang has been on authorities' radars for some time in connection with violent robberies in Nairobi's Eastlands. Investigations also led to the recovery of 'crucial evidence'
"NPS investigators and the technical team are working tirelessly, leveraging their expertise, to establish the motive behind the fatal shooting and to bring all those involved to justice," police added in their statement.
At the time of Were's death, he was in the company of his bodyguard and driver, both of whom were unharmed by the gunmen, who were aboard a motorcycle. This led police to conclude that the murder may have been premeditated.
Senior police commanders and detectives manned the crime scene shortly after the shooting on Wednesday, piecing together evidence and the chain of events with the help of CCTV footage, which confirmed that the late lawmaker was shot four times.
Since is death, there have been speculations about the motives of the late Were's assailants, particularly after it emerged that the MP had subtly predicted his death two months earlier.
On Sunday, the NPS cautioned elements not directly involved in investigations from speculating about Were's killing to allow for comprehensive investigations to conclude.
The latest update followed reports that two suspects had been arrested in connection with Were's murder during a Saturday night operation coordinated by a team from the Operations Support Unit based at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) headquarters. The operation took place in Nairobi's Eastlands area.
Despite the breakthrough, authorities are still urging anyone with information which could assist in the investigation to report to the nearest police station.
