Contract killing or targeted execution? The puzzle police must unravel in Kasipul MP Charles Were’s murder

The point blank execution of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were along Ngong Road last week has rekindled chilling murders of prominent politicians in Kenya’s history suspected to have been as a result of contract killings or targeted and premeditated assassinations, some of which remain unresolved to date.

Yesterday’s autopsy examination conducted at the Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi revealed that Were was shot five times at close range, with bullets piercing his chest and arm and rapturing vital organs, including his heart.

Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor, who led the exercise, confirmed that the legislator succumbed to excessive bleeding after the bullets tore through major organs.

The level of aggression, viciousness and precision by the attacker in pumping a hail of bullets without missing his target can only match traits of a highly skilled gun handler, far off from being an ordinary rascal.

Were’s massacre evokes memories of similar spate of mysterious deaths and targeted assassinations that have occurred in the past.

Politicians who have been assassinated since independence include Pio Gama Pinto, Josiah Mwangi (JM) Kariuki, Tom Mboya, Bruce McKenzie, Robert Ouko, G. G. Njuguna Ngengi, Mugabe Were and George Thuo.

Behind many of these killings lies a sinister trend, the rise of contract killers operating with impunity, some of them believed to be members of the security services.

These murders, often orchestrated with chilling precision, suggest deep-rooted networks involving money, power and influence, and a worrying failure in our security systems.

The police must thoroughly investigate the death and ensure that the killers are brought to justice.

It is imperative that the police take decisive action to investigate these killings.

Each unresolved case not only denies justice to the victims and their families but also emboldens those who believe they can kill without consequences.

The police must move beyond reactive statements and conduct thorough, impartial, and transparent investigations.

Advanced forensic methods, intelligence gathering, and witness protection programmes should be deployed to dismantle these criminal syndicates.

Moreover, the public must see accountability at all levels. If there are powerful individuals hiring hitmen, they must be exposed and prosecuted. Justice cannot be selective, rather, it must serve the poor and the powerful alike.

Contract killings erode public trust in the state’s ability to protect its citizens.

The time to act is now. Kenyans deserve to live in a country where life is valued and the rule of law prevails.