The man believed to be the key suspect in the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were has been detained for 30 days pending investigations.
Isaac Kuria, also known by the alias “Kush,” was arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) sought his prolonged detention.
According to the ODPP, Kuria was arrested in Isebania, near the Kenya-Tanzania border, while allegedly attempting to flee the country.
Authorities say Kuria is the 11th suspect to be charged in connection with the MP’s murder, which sent shockwaves through the political and security establishment after the legislator was gunned down in a brazen attack along Valley Road in Nairobi.
The court was informed that following the fatal shooting, Kuria embarked on a calculated escape, moving stealthily across multiple counties to evade capture. His arrest came after a high-stakes manhunt launched by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who tracked him down to the border town of Isebania.
The court also heard that investigators require more time to piece together evidence, trace movements, and link Kuria to other suspects already in custody.
Among those previously detained are the late MP’s driver, bodyguard, and a boda boda rider allegedly involved in aiding Kuria’s escape — all of whom were remanded last Friday.
In a related twist, Milimani High Court Judge Alexander Muteti upheld a directive by the JKIA Law Court ordering the continued detention of Phillip Aroko, another suspect in the murder probe.
Aroko’s legal team had earlier filed a habeas corpus application seeking to compel DCI officers to produce him dead or alive, but withdrew the motion, stating that it had been overtaken by events.
The murder of MP Charles Ong’ondo Were has sparked a national outcry and heightened calls for justice and increased security for elected leaders.
