In a significant turn of events in the ongoing trial of the brutal murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were, businessman Philip Nahashon Aroko has been released from custody and will now serve as a star witness for the prosecution.
Aroko’s shift from a key suspect to a state witness marks a crucial development in the high-profile case, which has seen several individuals arrested and charged.
While the specific details of the agreement and the testimony Aroko will provide are yet to be fully disclosed by authorities, his cooperation is anticipated to be vital in unravelling the intricate layers of the murder.
This decision comes after a previous legal battle concerning Aroko’s detention. On May 20, 2025, the High Court, presided over by Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kibera Law Courts, overturned a decision by the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) that had initially granted Aroko bail.
Justice Kavedza sided with the prosecution’s request for extended detention, citing the complex and sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation.
“The application is found to be merited,” the judge had stated, emphasizing that the temporary detention was necessary to allow investigators to pursue critical leads. Aroko was subsequently held at Kileleshwa Police Station until May 26, 2025, as investigations continued. The prosecution had argued that his release at the time could jeopardize the case by potentially allowing him to interfere with witnesses or co-accused persons.
Aroko has consistently denied any involvement in the MP’s murder since his arrest.
MP Charles Ong’ondo Were was tragically assassinated on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, on Ngong Road near the City Mortuary roundabout.
He was shot at least four times at close range by a lone gunman who then fled the scene on a sportbike.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Homicide Unit have been meticulously piecing together CCTV footage and relying on witness accounts from the MP’s driver and bodyguard to identify those behind Were’s killing.
According to preliminary reports, MP Were had left Parliament Buildings at around 7 p.m. in the company of his bodyguard and driver.
Their route took them to City Hall Way before turning onto Wabera Street, where the MP’s vehicle briefly stopped.
It was at this point that his bodyguard alighted and entered an M-Pesa shop to deposit KSh 20,000 into the MP’s phone, moments before the fatal attack.
