Alleged hitman in MP Ong’ondo assassination detained for 30 days

Kuria, also known as "Kush", was apprehended in Isebania, near the Kenya-Tanzania border, while allegedly attempting to flee the country.

His arrest follows a dramatic manhunt launched by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in the aftermath of the MP's fatal shooting on Valley Road in Nairobi.

Court documents reveal that Kuria is suspected to have been directly involved in the killing, which detectives believe was part of a wider, premeditated plot to assassinate the legislator. 

According to investigators, Kuria fled the scene after the shooting and moved through several counties in a calculated effort to evade capture. He first traveled to Mihango, where he allegedly discarded the murder weapon—since recovered by authorities—before proceeding to Narok and eventually to Isebania.

During his arrest and subsequent interrogation, Kuria reportedly provided critical information to investigators and named additional individuals believed to have played roles in the assassination plot.

A second suspect, who was with him at the time of arrest, was also detained and transferred to Nairobi for further questioning.

Kuria is now the eleventh suspect to be taken into custody in connection with the killing. Others already detained include Were’s bodyguard Allan Omondi, his driver Walter Owino, and William Imoli, who is alleged to have orchestrated and financed the operation.

Additional suspects include prominent businessman Phillip Aroko, Lake Basin Development Authority director Ebel Ochieng, and two others identified as Edwin Oduor and Dennis Manyasi.

Detectives say Kuria has ties to known criminal networks operating within Nairobi and was in communication with individuals in Tanzania, with whom he was reportedly coordinating his escape. 

Intelligence gathered through surveillance and intercepted communications played a key role in his capture.

The DCI has confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with a focus on financial trails and political affiliations that may shed light on the motive behind the assassination. 

Sources close to the probe suggest the killing was politically motivated and meticulously planned.

Charles Ong’ondo Were was gunned down in traffic on what now appears to be a planned hit, sending shockwaves across Kenya’s political landscape.