Nairobi, May 8 : A suspicious phone call made just hours before the assassination of Kasipul Member of Parliament, Charles Ong’ondo Were, has become a central lead in an investigation.

According to sources close to the probe who spoke to JULISHA MEDIA, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are focusing on a mystery caller who reached out to the MP’s bodyguard on April 30 at around 2:40 pm roughly five hours before the MP was fatally shot on Nairobi’s Ngong Road.

The phone call, which lasted a minute and 10 seconds, was made while the bodyguard was at Parliament Buildings. Investigators have since established that this wasn’t the first contact, as this same number had made contact with the bodyguard just two days earlier.

According to forensic experts, the number was registered three days before the killing of the MP, using identification documents belonging to a woman from the Nyanza region who had been deceased for some time. Authorities believe the number was created specifically to contact the MP’s aide, as no other calls were made from it.

Meanwhile, detectives have made a major breakthrough after recovering the firearm used in the assassination. Speaking on Thursday, Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, confirmed that ballistic tests had linked the weapon—a Sarsilmaz pistol—to the shooting that claimed Were’s life.

“The ballistic report we have received unequivocally links the Sarsilmaz pistol, recovered from the residence of one of the suspects, to the fatal shots that took his life,” said IG Kanja during a press briefing.

The weapon was discovered during a late-night raid on Tuesday in the Chokaa area of Kayole. Officers also recovered another pistol, a bag, and a pair of shoes believed to be connected to the case.

So far, 10 suspects have been arrested, including the MP’s own driver and bodyguard, who were detained shortly after the murder to assist with investigations. Authorities have also linked some of the suspects to the notorious “Mjahidini” gang, known for violent robberies in Nairobi’s Eastlands.

The MP was killed on the evening of April 30 at around 7:40 pm while travelling in a white Toyota Crown near City Mortuary. His vehicle had stopped at a red light when two individuals on a motorbike pulled up beside it. One of them approached the passenger side and opened fire before fleeing the scene.

The MP’s driver and bodyguard rushed him to Nairobi Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

An autopsy conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor revealed the MP had been shot five times—all from the left side. Two bullets were recovered from his body, and another was found in the vehicle. These were among several exhibits taken for forensic analysis.

Detectives from the DCI Homicide Bureau, working closely with the National Forensic Laboratory, launched a comprehensive investigation. They’ve since reviewed CCTV footage, tracked a getaway vehicle, and recovered cash believed to be tied to the suspects.