Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga has paid tribute to slain Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, describing him as a man who was loved by his constituents.
Speaking in Homa Bay on Saturday, May 3, 2025, Wanga lauded the MP’s devotion to serving his Kasipul constituents without discrimination.
“Ong’ondo Were was loved by his constituents. As a politician, not everybody can like you. But so long as the majority are with you and you’re serving your constituency fully it suffices. Were served every part of his constituency without discrimination,” she said.
The governor also dismissed what she claimed have been attempts to portray the MP as a violent man across social media following his death.
“Were was not elected by fluke. He was elected in 2017 and 2022. In 2022, he had over 42,000 votes, and his nearest competitor had 5000 votes. That is a man you want to tell us was ruling by terror. The disinformation that has flooded social media is not by coincidence. It is well-orchestrated, funded, and run to cover up the murder of Were. That is the truth,” she asserted.
Wanga parted her speech with a message of hope to the people of Kasipul, urging them to remain calm and count on her support.
“To the people of Kasipul, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid. If the killers thought they would have it easy after his death, then they would have to kill us all now. I assure you, stay strong and remain united. I will be with you here,” she stated.
Wanga’s comments followed shortly after Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi spoke about the possibility of Were’s death being a case of political assassination.
“This is likely to be a political assassination. I am not an investigator, but I have very strong feelings,” he said in a statement on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
“There is violence taking root in Homa Bay and we must condemn it. It is not worth it. Don’t take the lives of our people because of a political seat. In Ndhiwa Constituency, people are attacking each other with pangas in the name of politicians,” Mbadi stated.
“To those politicians promoting violence in Homa Bay County, you must stop. You cannot force people to vote you into power or back to power. Please respect people’s choices, be democratic and persuade people to vote for you.”
Adding;
“Ndhiwa is becoming a hotspot for violence, Kasipul must also be stopped. We will announce publicly that such politicians should not be associated with political parties we support. I cannot support a party where a leader in that party is behaving like a hooligan.”