Kenyans woke up today to The Standard’s cover story; a nation reacting with cheers to the assassination of a sitting MP from Kasipul, Ong’ondo Were who was killed along Ngong road on the 30th April 2025. The reaction from the people was no ordinary reaction. The people celebrated because, in their eyes, another “white-collar gangster” had fallen.
Clips of the late have been circulating social media showing how ruthless the Mp was to his people.
Jerome Ogolla outrightly points out that, we must not pretend to be innocent victims here. The late MP was serving his second term. His people voted for him again, fully aware of his record. This is not just about bad leaders. It’s about the people who keep putting them back in power.
Here is Jerome Ogolla’s message;
“The Standard’s cover story today captures the disillusionment of Kenyans, evident in their celebratory reactions to the assassination of the white-collar gangster who represented Kasipul in the National Assembly.
Let’s not forget that the slain MP was serving his second term. His constituents voted him in fully aware of his crooked ways, having tasted it in the first term.
We created this problem. Are we truly victims? No. We are accomplices.
We shouldn’t be disillusioned by outcomes we consciously chose. I hear some are blaming Raila Odinga’s ODM party for fielding Ong’ondo Were.
That may be partly true. The party often reserves its nomination certificates for crooks who bid the highest.
But even then, wananchi had a chance to veto this at the IEBC ballot.
Did they? No. They endorsed instead.
If you want to see Kenya’s biggest problem, get a mirror. What you see reflected is the biggest setback the country’s grand grand march towards better governance.
You create a problem, cry for five years then renew the problem at the ballot.
Good morning, my fellow temporary citizens.”
By Jerome Ogolla
Ogolla doesn’t sugar-coat it. He reminds us that blaming political parties, leaders, or systems isn’t enough. At the end of the day, the voter holds the power. And when that power is misused or sold to the highest bidder, the whole country suffers.
Ongóndo was an Mp within the ODM political party. The suspects behind his death are yet to be found.
