Ong'ondo Were: Double life and secrets that follow him to the grave

Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula (centre) received by Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Pasaris as he led legislators during the viewing of the late Kasipul MP Sir Charles Ong'ondo Were at Lee Funeral Service, Nairobi ,May 6th,2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] To his counterparts in Parliament, Charles Ong'ondo Were was a good man who interacted well with everyone in the August House; in fact, they nicknamed him 'Sir' Charles. But to some people, mostly those whose paths crossed negatively with those of the late MP, they describe him as a ruthless man who ruined their lives. Such were tales that resurfaced after the Member of Parliament was shot dead around City Mortuary in Nairobi on May 2, 2025. As he is laid to rest on Friday many secrets will follow him to his grave, such as a confession of family that claims the late MP lured their kin with a job offer more than a decade ago and she has never been traced. Doughty Apondi disappeared somewhere between Nairobi and Meru. It remains a puzzle that her family and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are still trying to resolve. In a candid interview, Doughty's sister opened up about the whole ordeal of how their sister left Oyugis's home in 2010 for Meru to secure a job that she was offered by Were, who was a prominent businessman in the town at the time. "Before she got lost, she had been jobless and decided to come back home, around that time, Were was running a campaign and when she was told that my sister was jobless, he said he had some business and was looking for someone to manage," Nancy Adhiambo, Doughty's sister, recalls Adhiambo claims that apart from the job offer, Were promised that he would offer her his house in Meru, where she would be staying, citing that there was a houseboy. She adds that Doughty was adamant, but she was convinced. She claims that it was Were who sent her fare, which she used to travel to Nairobi then proceeded to Meru. "She reported that she arrived safely but after staying for about two weeks, she kept lamenting to our mum, saying that Were used to have late-night meetings which are so weird past midnight," narrated Adhiambo. In the third week, Adhiambo says the sister went quiet on the phone and other platforms, throwing the family in panic, forcing them to call Were who told them she landed a job at a bank in Migori. Reportedly, Doughty's mother was not convinced since her daughter had no background in banking, forcing her to inquire if there was someone who had been employed in the bank in question but they were told that no one had been hired not only in Migori but other branches. Days after the confusing reports, the mother was still worried and she suggested that Adhiambo travel to Meru to check if her sister was well. "By the time I made a trip to Meru, Were was not around, he was in Oyugis, and through friends I traced the MP's residence where we found a houseboy and after I introduced myself and told him that my sister had been missing then he assured me that she was around," claimed Adhiambo Adding that, "In the house, I noticed my sister's Bible and other items in her room, where I found her towel, which was still damp and other items and as he insisted that my sister was okay. At the corner of that room there was a door with a grills," A day after accessing the said house, Adhiambo claims that the houseboy called her so that she can share details of the sister's whereabouts but something weird happened. Adhiambo says, before meeting him, someone who picked his calls reported that he had been hacked and had been rushed to Meru district hospital for treatment by police officers. In a bizarre turn of events, Adhaimbo says the houseboy who was hospitalised directed her to another person in Meru town so that she can tell her the whereabouts of her sister. "At that point, I realised something was not adding up and decided to involve the police to report a case of missing person and upon mentioning the place, the officer directed me to his boss, lamenting that there had been similar cases from the same house," she shared Adhiambo says Were was summoned to the station but was furious and dismissed the matter that there were plans to tarnish his reputation as he left in a huff, forcing her to escalate the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. After some time, Adhiambo said the detectives concluded the probe and secured an order to search the house in question, even though she was not allowed access, adding that the officers did not recover anything. After unsuccessful attempts to trace her sister, Adhiambo left Meru in fear as the family resolved that their mother report the case in the village but they were also frustrated, adding that details on OB report of her being omitted. "Whenever we tried any move, there was a blockade, even the officers in Meru said they were afraid. at one point my mother called Were asking him to produce the daughter but he laughed of,f saying no one would touch him," narrated Adhiambo. Adhiambo says the case threw their mother in depression until she passed on last year, adding that those who had information in Meru went mute under unclear circumstances "One of the people who had information warned me that Were was very dangerous man, he told me I will disappear like my sister or I will die," she added Years on, the family is still living in optimism that their sister will return back home even as Were is now gone. "We know people feared opening up nut right now there is no fear, at least they can tell us is she is alive or she was buried somewhere so that we have closure, that is closure that my mum cried to till her death," Using burials to reign terror Before Were was fatally shot in Nairobi many people outside Homa-Bay did not know much about him. But some people in the larger County knew him very well; Were, who was serving their second term had been nicknamed Jakowaro and Pindra. Soon after his election in 2017, Were had a slogan dubbed Tano Teno (five again years) to champion his re-election in 2022. After his re-election, the slogan changed to Were Milele na Milele (Were forever), meaning he would serve till posterity as the MP for Kasipul. During his lifetime, Were could hardly miss funerals in his constituency, a show of love in the Luo community. The local community perceives that a person who stands with one during grief is the true friend rather than one who is close during joy. It was against this background that Were chose to attend funerals in the constituency. His Facebook account was full of updates on funerals he used to attend. For instance, on April 28, his Facebook update read, "Today I attended the burial of my longtime supporter, Joel Abach, who served faithfully as the ODM Vice Chairperson at Katanga Polling Station." However, in the same burial, a perceived critic of the MP was targeted by goons and left with deep cuts. But he is not alone, several victims who claim they were attacked by the MPs goons said he became a law himself after he was elected in 2017. Edward Okwanyo, still nursing head wounds, described how the MP's allies attacked him during his brother's funeral two weeks ago. "My late brother supported him, but I had stopped. The MP demanded control over the funeral arrangements. When I resisted, I received threats," he said. Okwanyo alleged that on the burial day, Were arrived with his supporters, sat briefly and demanded to be given a platform to speak. He then stirred up the crowd with inflammatory chants, inciting his goons towards his opponent. Shortly after, a group of youths attacked Okwanyo with a metal object, forcing him to flee before being rescued by a boda boda rider. He was treated for deep wounds at Matata Hospital in Oyugis and is now recovering at home. His solidarity with mourners endeared him to a section of Kasipul residents who perceived him as a man of the people. Some people remember for his support for education in the constituency where he, at some point, would distribute a bursary of Sh10,000 to students in boarding schools and tertiary colleges and Sh3000 to those who were in day schools. Then some encountered his wrath, among them the scribes. One of them blamed his sacking on Were's influence. Bill Ogaga, another victim, claimed he was attacked by Were's men on April 6, during his grandfather's funeral, shared his harrowing experience. He narrated how the late MP and his men targeted and assaulted him, days after he had been threatened by his close circles. "We were burying our grandfather when the MP and his men came and stormed the burial. He had disagreed with one of the MCAs and I did not know I was also going to be targeted," he said. Moments later, he claims, the MP's men started chasing him and caught up with him and assaulted him. His brother Koffi Ogaga intervened and attempted to rescue him. "I ran away. Unfortunately, my brother was hacked and left bleeding profusely," he narrated. A video of the two brothers crying while rushing to the hospital after the incident, lamenting about the continued violence in Kasipul has since gone viral on social media. Defilement case The scribe turned consultant told the Nairobian and how him and two colleagues were pursuing a defilement case when they were attacked by goons suspected to have been allied to Were in 2012. Even though the matter was reported to police, the scribe says he would later be fired under unclear circumstances but his colleagues were spared. "The letter indicated that I had been suspended for two weeks. What was worrying is that I was suspended even before filing my story because our investigations were still going on," he claimed. "I realised Were colluded with someone so that I could be sacked. We tried to negotiate with the management but my senior then had made a strong network aiding my dismissal," the scribe claimed. Were the businessman Were operated a business in Meru County, among them a cleaning services firm over a decade ago. Though a few who knew about his activities in Meru where he lived near the Meru Prison, a man in his 40s claimed the MP also had a rental in property in a different location near Meru town, they were hesitant to talk about him. It is in the town that the late MP is said to have crossed paths with some people and authorities while some people claim he was using different business names. Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, speaking in Meru on Wednesday, said the ongoing investigation would lead to more arrests. Murkomen said it was a very heinous crime involving people, some under police custody and investigators expected to nab others. "That incident is shocking, the circumstances under which the MP was killed, the manner under which it was done, despite him having security and him having been conscious about his life and gone public about the same. It is regrettable it turned out as it did," he said. He added; "Luckily, it is within my knowledge that we have made very significant progress in arresting the perpetrators and their collaborators. And it will shock you to note that this is a very heinous crime that was done in a very cavalier manner involving people that ordinarily should have taken good care of the interests of the MP." "We want to affirm that the government is committed to ensure that those perpetrators, some who have been arrested and their collaborators, will be arrested soon. They will be brought to book." He said the police had the technology to apprehend criminals of all kinds. Additional reporting by Pkemoi Ng'enoh and Phares Mutembei

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