Four men, including a serving Administration Police officer, arrested in connection with the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were, will remain in police custody for the next 30 days pending the conclusion of investigations.

The suspects, William Imoli Shighali, Juma Ali Haikal, Douglas Muchiri Wambugu, and David Mihigo Kagame—were produced before the Chief Magistrate’s Court at JKIA yesterday, where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) successfully applied for their continued detention.

Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi granted the application, allowing the four to be detained at Ruaraka, Muthaiga, Capitol Hill, and Kilimani police stations, or any other suitable facility, for a period of 30 days. 

This development came after autopsy results, conducted by Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor, revealed that the  Kasipul MP died from excessive bleeding after being shot five times. 

Oduor confirmed that bullets tore through Were’s vital organs, including the heart, lungs, and liver. The pathologist detailed that the five gunshot wounds included two entry wounds on the left forearm, two on the left side of the chest, and one that lodged in the spine.

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Court documents reveal that one of the accused, Juma Ali Haikal, is a serving Administration Police officer. At his residence, a motor vehicle believed to have been used to drop the assailants outside Parliament and later trail the deceased’s car was impounded.

"The detectives recovered nine live rounds, eight tear gas canisters, and an Administration Police uniform from the house of Juma Ali Haikal, who has claimed to be a police officer. There is a need for further investigation to establish the allegations and how public stores came to be in his house," reads an affidavit sworn by Inspector Oliver Nabonwe. 

In the affidavit, Nabonwe explained that the MP was fatally shot at about 7:40pm on April 30, while stopped at a red light at the City Mortuary roundabout along Valley Road. The attacker reportedly fled the scene on a motorcycle.

"Immediately after committing this heinous act, the assailant escaped from the scene on a waiting motorcycle and went into hiding, indicating that this crime was both targeted and premeditated," the affidavit reads. 

The affidavit further disclosed that mobile phone data placed the suspects near the crime scene, confirming constant communication between them before, during, and after the fatal shooting.

"Preliminary analysis of the evidence at hand has shown that there is a high likelihood that the respondents, jointly with others still at large, were involved in the planning and execution of the murder of the deceased person," Nabonwe stated.

During the arrests, police recovered several mobile phones, which they believe contain crucial information that could help unravel the murder. Furthermore, during searches at the homes of Shighali and Haikal, detectives recovered live ammunition and a spent cartridge, which are awaiting ballistic analysis. 

"The investigation team has identified more scenes of crime where it is believed that this murder was planned and/or orchestrated before the execution. These scenes need to be visited for documentation and retrieval of more evidence, which will subsequently be used in the interrogation and questioning of the respondents," Nabonwe stated.

The investigating officer emphasised the need for more time due to the complexity of the case and the high-profile nature of the crime.

"Due to the seriousness of the offence and the complexity of these investigations, we require more time to unravel this crime, as the investigators will be travelling to Homa Bay County to interview and record statements from more witnesses and people of interest," he added.

Magistrate Gichobi granted all orders sought by the prosecution, including the continued detention of the suspects and forensic examination of their mobile phones. The case is set to be mentioned on June 5 for further directions. By Emmanuel Kipchumba, The Standard