Kenyan police have confirmed that the fatal shooting of lawmaker Charles Were in Nairobi on Wednesday evening was a deliberate and carefully orchestrated act.

Were, who represented the Kasipul constituency in western Kenya, was gunned down around 7:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) while waiting at a traffic light on Ngong Road, according to a statement released by police late Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses told police that the shooter was riding pillion on a motorcycle that pulled up beside Were’s car. “The passenger dismounted, approached the vehicle, fired several shots at the passenger side, then jumped back on the bike and fled,” police reported. Authorities said the attack “bore all the hallmarks of a targeted, premeditated killing.”

Such political killings are rare in Kenya, a nation often seen as an anchor of stability in a region frequently rocked by conflict.

Were was a member of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) led by veteran politician Raila Odinga, who narrowly lost to President William Ruto in the 2022 elections.
“Were is no more — ruthlessly and cold-bloodedly executed by an assassin on the streets of Nairobi this evening,” Odinga posted on X.

Though Odinga initially contested the 2022 election outcome over claims of vote irregularities, he and several of his allies have since worked with Ruto on initiatives to tackle Kenya’s political and economic challenges.