By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
A Kenyan opposition Member of Parliament, Charles Were, was fatally shot in Nairobi in what police have called a “targeted and premeditated” attack.
The incident occurred Wednesday night as Were’s vehicle came to a stop at a roundabout on a busy highway. According to police, a motorcycle taxi approached the car, and a passenger dismounted and opened fire on the MP.
President William Ruto has called for a “thorough investigation,” emphasizing that those responsible must be brought to justice.
Were, who was reelected in 2022 to represent the Kasipul constituency in western Kenya under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, was accompanied by his driver and bodyguard at the time of the shooting.
ODM leader Raila Odinga, Ruto’s main rival in the 2022 general election, paid tribute to Were, calling him a “gallant son of the soil.”
Political tensions in Kenya have eased since a wave of opposition-led protests last year that resulted in multiple deaths. In a move toward reconciliation, Ruto appointed several ODM members to his cabinet, and he and Odinga signed a political pact in March.
