Postmortem deepens mystery in ex-MP Were's son’s killing

Former Matungu Member of Parliament (MP), David Were, addressing the media at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) morgue in Kisumu on Tuesday, May 26, 2026./KNA

Fresh questions have emerged over the murder of Hanington Were, the son of former Matungu Member of Parliament (MP) David Were, after the postmortem revealed he suffered fatal stab wounds, with the family alleging inconsistencies in witness accounts and demanding a deeper probe into the killing.

Hanington, 39, an employee of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), stationed at the Huduma Centre in Kisumu, died Sunday after an attack by unknown assailants near Dr Robert Ouko Estate in Kisumu City.

Speaking after a post-mortem examination at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, on Tuesday, David Were said the autopsy established that his son died from multiple stab wounds and not a blunt-force injury, as earlier reported.

“We had initially been informed that he was hit with a blunt object on the back of the head and collapsed, but the post-mortem tells us he had three major stab wounds, and those are the injuries that caused his death because he bled profusely internally,” said Were.

According to the former legislator, pathologists found that one stab wound pierced the lungs from the back, while another penetrated the lower side of the lungs and damaged the kidneys, causing severe internal bleeding.

“The doctors told us whoever did this intended to kill him. The injuries were very severe internally, and even if he had been rushed to hospital immediately, the chances of survival would have been minimal,” he said.

The family is now questioning the account given by a man who was reportedly with the deceased during his final moments, saying several inconsistencies had emerged from his statement.

Were said the witness claimed his son had been attacked by thugs riding on a boda boda using a blunt object, yet both doctors and the pathologist confirmed there were no injuries to the head.

“The only severe injuries were the stab wounds. Even the doctor who first received him at casualty told me my son had already died by the time he arrived, and what they noticed were stab wounds on the back,” said Were.

The former MP also raised questions over a three-hour gap between the time the attack allegedly occurred and when Hanington was taken to hospital.

“We are trying to understand what happened during that period because the person who was with him says the attack happened around midnight, but he was taken to hospital around 3am,” he said.

According to the family, Hanington had spent the better part of the day with the man, who operates a cybercafé at the Huduma Centre, where the deceased worked.

Were said the witness had been interrogated by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) alongside another man before being released.

"He first recorded a statement, then he was picked up again together with a friend he stays with and interrogated for several hours. I’m told he was detained for about 12 hours before being released,” he said.

Hanington's widow, Faniet Magalu, expressed suspicion over the conduct of the man who accompanied her husband on the night he was killed.

"As Baba has said, the report shows the guy who was with him lied in his statement. He said boda boda riders hit him with a blunt object, but the major cause of death was the stab wounds,” she said.

Magalu said she became suspicious after the man allegedly went into their bedroom and changed into Hanington’s clothes before informing her that her husband had been taken to hospital.

"He came to my house and changed into my husband’s T-shirt before waking me up and telling me we needed to go to the hospital. When I got there, I found my husband had already died,” she said.

She added that the witness allegedly claimed he had fled during the attack before returning to find Hanington lying in a pool of blood.

According to the family, the witness later hired a boda boda rider to transport the injured man to hospital, but allegedly failed to pay the rider.

The former MP described the circumstances surrounding the killing as suspicious and said the family strongly believed there could have been a planned attack.

"The way the witness is explaining the incident leaves a lot of gaps. We leave it to the DCI to investigate fully, but to me, it appears this was planned,” he said.

The murder, Were said, has compounded grief in the family, coming barely five months after another of his sons was killed in Nairobi, under unclear circumstances.

 Were said the family was still waiting for results from investigations into the earlier killing, which occurred in Nairobi’s Mlolongo area in January.

He urged the DCI to expedite investigations into Hanington’s death and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

 “We just want the investigations to move fast, so that we know exactly what happened and who was behind it,” he said.

The family said burial arrangements are underway, with the funeral expected to be held next week.