Raila Recalls Charles Were Running Away From Stalkers Who Wanted To Harm Him
Raila recalled when Were had to escape to his car from the pursuers who had been watching him and even followed him to a function he was attending.
Marvin Chege 
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga, on Friday, May 9, opened up on a harrowing moment the late Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Were went through after some individuals who were stalking him targeted him to cause harm.
Speaking at his burial at Kachien, Kasipul Constituency, Raila recalled when Were had to escape to his car from the pursuers who had been watching him and even followed him to a function he was attending.
The former Prime Minister gave a chilling account of the incident, describing how, right after the public event which they both attended, Were approached him in a panic and warned that danger was imminent.
“Earlier this year, we attended a function, and when the event ended, Ong’ondo rushed to my car. He squeezed himself into the vehicle and told me that some people had been following him there. He didn’t say much at the time, but warned me that these people had bad intentions. ‘I won’t tell you now, but I’ll explain later,” he said.
Speaking with deep emotion about the late MP, the ODM leader said Were knew exactly who was after him — and claimed those same individuals are the ones who eventually assassinated him on April 30, 2025.
Photo of the late Charles Were. /FILE
He added that the people trailing Were were likely from his inner circle, and vowed to keep speaking out about the brutal murder until those responsible are held accountable.
Raila made it clear he was speaking with visible anger, knowing that some of those arrested were just low-level players, not the real masterminds behind the brutal assassination.
“So, these people had been trailing him for a long time, and they were people he knew very well. He knew them, and I believe the police investigations will eventually lead to these people, and they will be apprehended.
“Yes, some of them have already been arrested, but those are basically the agents who were hired to carry out the crime. The real mastermind behind this crime must be brought to justice,” he added.
Meanwhile, the spotlight is on Were’s bodyguard and driver, believed to be in communication with suspected planners and executors of the lawmaker's murder. Court documents filed on Thursday reveal that detectives suspect Allan Ogola Omondi, the MP’s bodyguard, and Walter Owino Awino, his driver, were in contact with the suspects before and after the deadly shooting, pointing to what police describe as a carefully planned and coordinated assassination.
Police are now pursuing five more suspects in connection with the MP’s murder, including his bodyguard, his driver, and a neighbour from his rural home in Kasipul, Homa Bay County, identified as Ebel Ochieng, also known as Dave Calo.
These three are alongside Edwin Oduor Odhiambo and Dennis Sewe Manyasi, who were arrested in Nairobi’s Umoja Two estate and Nakuru. They have been detained for 30 days as investigations continue.
Their arrests bring the total number of suspects in custody to 10, including businessman Philip Nahashon Aroko, who was picked up as a key person of interest. Police believe Odhiambo and Manyasi are the individuals who followed the MP from Parliament before the fatal shooting.
During a search of Odhiambo’s home in Mihang’o, Nairobi, detectives recovered two pistols with magazines and bullets, four phones, and five SIM cards. The weapons are being forensically tested against the bullet fragments retrieved from the MP's body during the autopsy. Investigators also revealed that Ochieng had previously issued threats against the MP.
To build their case, police are using CCTV footage from both government surveillance systems [the Integrated Command, Control and Communication Centre (IC3)] and private cameras along the route the MP took during his last moments alive. They are also triangulating phone signals and analysing data from the recovered devices.
Meanwhile, Aroko was brought before the JKIA Court at 3 p.m. Friday, following public pressure from his legal team, who raised alarm over his incommunicado detention. According to prosecutors, Aroko is now considered a central figure in the case, not only for allegedly threatening the MP but also for allegedly financing the assassination.
With Aroko currently detained for seven days, investigators are digging into his financial records, tracking transactions they believe were used to bankroll the hit. Authorities say more locations tied to planning meetings remain unexamined, and several witnesses are still being sought for questioning.
