Detectives are following information about the man who shot and killed Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo while he was in traffic in Nairobi. The man had his head covered, possibly to avoid being recognized.
According to the police, the attacker may have followed the MP’s car from the Parliament Buildings to the location where the shooting happened.
Footage from surveillance equipment captured the suspect near a spot where the MP had stopped to carry out a money transfer after leaving Parliament.
The man rode on a motorbike with another person, moving from Parliament along City Hall Way, Wabera Street, Kenyatta Avenue, Jakaya Kikwete Road, and eventually to Valley Road, where the incident took place around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30.
Police believe the attackers had information about the MP’s travel plans.
Reports indicate that the MP was using a different vehicle that day, a Toyota Crown, instead of his regular one, possibly to avoid being noticed.
Still, those behind the attack appeared to know about the switch.
Officers have visited all the places the MP went to that day and are reviewing video evidence and speaking with people who were with him, including his driver and guard.
On Thursday, police expanded their investigation to the National Assembly, where the MP had spent time before leaving around 6:15 p.m., accompanied by his driver and guard.
Their vehicle was seen moving through City Hall Way and then onto Wabera Street.
There, the MP’s vehicle stopped. His guard briefly left and entered a mobile money outlet, where he is said to have sent KSh 20,000 to the MP’s phone.
A man with his head covered and carrying a bag was seen nearby, watching the vehicle.
Surveillance images showed the MP and his team leaving the area at 7:19 p.m., moving to Kenyatta Avenue, then shifting routes to Jakaya Kikwete Road, and later to Argwings Kodhek Road. Police suspect they stopped at a restaurant briefly.
They later joined Valley Road, unaware that someone was behind them.
The same man spotted earlier was now seen on a motorbike closely following the MP’s vehicle.
At 7:40 p.m., when traffic brought the vehicle to a halt, the man got off the motorbike, walked to the MP’s car, and opened fire.
He released four bullets at close distance, hitting the MP in the chest and arm, and breaking the window.
He then returned to the motorbike, and both fled towards the city center.
The guard, seated behind the MP, told police that the gunfire took him by surprise. He tried to chase the attackers but could not reach them.
He returned to the vehicle and found the MP bleeding and asking for help.
The driver made a U-turn and drove to Nairobi Hospital. The MP was declared dead upon arrival.
He had been hit by at least five bullets. The driver and guard were not injured.
On Thursday morning, homicide officers visited the area to examine the scene and recovered three bullet casings, which will undergo further analysis.
Later, police gathered near Wabera Street, where the MP was last seen before the shooting.
It has also been reported that the gunman and his rider ate at a place along Kimathi Street earlier that day.
Investigators collected footage from nearby shops showing the suspect watching the MP’s vehicle outside the mobile money outlet.
Police have spoken with the MP’s guard, driver, and the person working at the outlet. They also questioned employees at the restaurant.
The investigation has now reached Kasipul to determine whether the killing was linked to political matters.
Police believe the killing was carried out with prior planning and aimed at the MP.
“It looks like this act was planned in advance and meant for a specific target,” said police spokesman Michael Muchiri.
Officers are working to establish how the attackers found out about the MP’s vehicle change.
