Witness Says They Were Paid Ksh 50,000 to Trail MP Ong’ondo Were Before Killing

Fresh details have emerged in the murder trial of former Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were after a protected witness told the High Court at Kibera that they were paid Ksh 50,000 to trail the MP’s vehicle on the day he was fatally shot.

The witness, identified in court only by the pseudonym KAV, testified on July 14 under the Witness Protection Programme during the ongoing murder trial of the former legislator.

In a statement dated July 14, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said the witness was presented before Justice Diana Kavedza as part of the prosecution’s case in the trial.

“The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) today strengthened his case in the murder trial of former Kasipul lawmaker Charles Ong’ondo Were after presenting a key prosecution witness under the Witness Protection Programme before the High Court at Kibera. For security reasons, the witness testified under the pseudonym KAV, with their identity shielded under the Witness Protection Programme,” the DPP stated.

Witness Says He Was Paid Ksh50,000 to Follow Ong’ondo Were’s Vehicle

According to the witness, the events began on the morning of the incident after receiving a phone call from a known contact offering a driving assignment.

Also Read: Fresh Details Emerge on MP Ong’ondo Were’s Assassination

KAV, a motorbike rider, told the court they were initially directed to Huruma before another caller instructed them to proceed to Jacaranda, where they met an unknown individual.

Upon arrival, the witness said they were informed the assignment would earn them Ksh50,000 and were handed an Airtel SIM card to facilitate communication throughout the operation but they were not told the purpose of the assignment.

KAV further stated that the individual boarded the motorcycle as a passenger and directed them to a sports facility in Buruburu, where he briefly left before returning in a white motor vehicle occupied by himself and another person as they were instructed to follow the vehicle on the motorcycle.

Events Before Shooting

According to the testimony, the convoy later stopped at a petrol station along Jogoo Road to refuel the motorcycle before proceeding to Nairobi’s Central Business District.

Additionally, KAV said they remained in the CBD for several hours before, in the evening, the passenger instructed them to begin following a different white motor vehicle.

He stated that after trailing the vehicle to a designated location, the passenger got off the motorcycle and walked away.

Moments later, the witness said they heard gunshots before the passenger returned, boarded the motorcycle, and instructed them to ride to another location, where they eventually parted ways.

KAV also told the court that after arriving home, they received a phone call from the person who had introduced them to the assignment and were asked where the assignment had been carried out before being instructed to watch television news.

Also Read: How Kenya Power Theft Suspects Were Cornered in Mtwapa

The witness testified that the news reported the fatal shooting of Charles Ong’ondo Were and that the vehicle shown in the reports resembled the one they had been instructed to follow.

In addition, he said that they met the same individual the following day and received the agreed Ksh50,000 payment for the transport services, as the individual destroyed the Airtel SIM card used during the operation before providing them with a new Airtel SIM card for future communication.

The murder trial is continuing before the High Court at Kibera, with the next hearing scheduled for July 16, 2026.

Former Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were was shot dead by unknown gunmen on the evening of April 30, 2025 after his vehicle was intercepted along Ngong Road.

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