Cops: Monies found on Were murder suspects are proceeds of the crime

 Some of the suspects have confessed they were paid in US dollars to eliminate the MP.

 Inspector General of police Douglas Kanja said the cash recovered is part of the exhibit in the case.

 “Other exhibits collected at the initial stages of the investigation include surveillance footage capturing critical moments before and after the murder, identification of a vehicle used to transport the suspects to the crime scene and financial proceeds linked to the suspects,” Kanja said.

 “These exhibits are undergoing forensic analysis to further strengthen the case and clarify the circumstances surrounding Were's murder,” he added.

 One of the suspects arrested had Sh615,000 in his house in Nairobi believed to have been payment for the mission.

 Detectives are trying to establish the source of the money which was in US dollars and the motive.

 One of the suspects told detectives he had been paid Sh80,000 by an accomplice in custody to drop off unidentified individuals at a petrol station near the crime scene, just moments before the fatal shooting.

 He claims that is why his vehicle appeared in surveillance footage from the area—a detail now central to the investigation.

 Detectives are now working to verify these accounts and match them with forensic findings.

 Following their arrest, investigators proceeded to the bodyguard’s residence in Uthiru, where a search was carried out in pursuit of additional evidence.

 As the net tightened, detectives also confiscated mobile phones belonging to both the bodyguard and the driver for forensic analysis, hoping to trace financial transactions that could link them directly to the suspected killers.

 One of the suspects had earlier alleged he received a down payment of Sh850,000, a claim partially substantiated after police recovered part of the money from his home in US dollars.

 Investigators are now expanding their probe with a financial analysis targeting all potential suspects believed to be part of the criminal network responsible for the execution of Were.

 The suspects have been mentioned adversely in the probe and are wanted for questioning, Kanja said.

 “We will continue to pursue all leads, analyse forensic evidence and ensure that all perpetrators are brought to book,” he said.

 Other sources said some of the suspects who are wanted include people working in government and elective posts.

 A member of a board of a parastatal was arrested in Nakuru on Wednesday over the murder.

 Five people have been presented in court.

 The police said the murder was planned way before its execution with meetings within and outside Nairobi.

 The detectives asked the court in a miscellaneous application to hold the suspects for further investigations.

 “Therefore, more investigations will be conducted in Nairobi, Homa Bay and other counties, a process that will require more time.”

 The police said in court documents that one of the suspects is a close neighbour to the deceased at his rural home in Homa Bay and had threatened the deceased before the murder happened.

 “Similarly, the first respondent has adversely been mentioned by some suspects who are already in the custody as the person behind the planning and execution of this crime.”

 They added the account of events has been corroborated by mobile phone numbers believed to have been fraudulently registered by the suspect necessitating the time sought to enable investigators interrogate further such line of inquiry.

 Kanja alongside the Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo addressed a press conference Thursday saying so far 10 suspects are in custody.

 They include the board member, the driver and bodyguard to Were, a driver to a parastatal official and his accomplice, four suspects directly linked to the murder and aspiring politician.

 One of the guns recovered from the suspects has since been confirmed to have been involved in the shooting.

 Kanja said the gun was recovered from two suspects who were discovered with two pistols — a Retay Falcon pistol and a Sarsilmaz pistol — and a bag, and footwear that matched the description of items worn by one of the suspects on the crime scene.

 "The ballistics report we received links the Sarsilmaz pistol recovered from the residence of one of the suspects," he said.

 The report also linked the weapon to three separate robbery incidents across Nairobi and Kiambu counties.

 He added an autopsy performed on May 2 at the Lee Funeral Home by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor revealed that MP Were had five gunshot wounds, all of which entered his body from the left side.

 Two bullets were recovered during the postmortem, and a third was found in the deceased's vehicle which were submitted for ballistic analysis.

 Money believed to have been paid to the suspects to commit the crime was also recovered, Kanja said.

 He said detectives reconstructed Were's movements from Parliament to the site of the shooting, generating key leads that have helped identify potential suspects.

 “The driver and the bodyguard were taken into custody to assist in the ongoing probe.”

 Kanja explained how the MP was trailed and killed revealing that at about 7:40 PM on April 30, 2025, he was fatally shot while driving in a white Toyota Crown along Ngong Road, near the City Mortuary roundabout in Nairobi.

 The vehicle had stopped at a red traffic light when a motorcycle carrying a rider and a pillion passenger pulled alongside.

 The pillion passenger approached the passenger's side of the vehicle, fired multiple shots and fled the scene on the motorcycle.

 The driver and the bodyguard, both unharmed, rushed MP Were to Nairobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

 A specialised team from the DCI Homicide Bureau, supported by forensic experts from the National Forensic Laboratory, was deployed to the crime scene.

 The team conducted an examination, collecting critical evidence that has significantly advanced the investigation.

 “Through meticulous forensic work, four suspects directly linked to the crime scene were arrested. Some of them are believed to be members of the "Mjahidini," an organised criminal gang known for armed robberies in Nairobi's Eastlands area.”

 On May 5, 2025, the four suspects were presented before the JKIA court, where investigators secured a 30-day custodial order to facilitate further inquiries.

 The case is scheduled for mention on June 5, 2025. The motive is believed to be political.