Since independence, Kenya has lost several leaders to political assassinations over the years. This article explores Members of Parliament (MPs) who have been assassinated since 1965.
List of Kenyan MPs Assassinated Since 1965
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Charles Ong’ondo Were (2025)
Charles Ong’ondo Were was a businessman before entering politics.
He served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Victoria Cleaning Services LTD from 2003 to 2022.
Additionally, he held the same position at Metrokaam Properties LTD from 2006 to 2022 and at Benga Group Holding LTD from 2014 to 2022. In 2017, Were ventured into politics and he was elected as the MP for Kasipul constituency on the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket. He successfully defended his position in the 2022 elections.
On the evening of Wednesday, April 4, 2025, Were was shot dead in Nairobi. The incident occurred near the City Mortuary roundabout on Ngong Road, when unidentified assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle. He was rushed to the Nairobi Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
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George Muchai (2015)
George Muchai was born on July 22, 1949, and was a trade unionist who served as the Deputy Secretary General of COTU, where he worked alongside Secretary General Francis Atwoli.
He was also the Secretary General of the Bakery, Confectionery, Food Manufacturing, and Allied Workers Union. Muchai entered politics in 2013 and was elected as the MP for Kabete on a The National Alliance (TNA) ticket.
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During his tenure as Deputy Secretary General of COTU, Muchai had significant disagreements with other leaders, including Atwoli. At one point, several leaders attempted to oust him due to allegations of unethical conduct. Muchai famously stated that ousting him would spell the end for Atwoli.
On the morning of February 7, 2015, Muchai was shot dead along with his driver and two bodyguards while in his car near the Kenyatta Avenue–Uhuru Highway roundabout in Nairobi. Prior to his death, the former Kabete legislator had expressed concerns for his safety and reported receiving death threats.
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David Kimutai Too (2008)
David Kimutai Too was born on August 23, 1968, and began his career as a high school teacher before advancing to principal in Kericho, Rift Valley. In 2007, he was elected to the National Assembly as the MP for Ainamoi Constituency under the ODM party.
On January 31, 2008, Too was shot dead by a traffic police officer in Eldoret at around 10:00 a.m., alongside policewoman Eunice Chepkwony, who was also killed. The officer, Andrew Moache, was reported to have shot them due to a love triangle related to Too’s relationship with Eunice.
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Mugabe Were (2008)
Mugabe Were, born on August 9, 1968, was a businessman who later transitioned into politics.
He was well-known for his philanthropic work assisting the vulnerable in society. He was a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and was elected as the MP for Embakasi Constituency in Nairobi during the December 2007 general elections.
Mugabe was gunned down on January 29 outside his home in Nairobi’s Woodley estate. He was shot three times—in the heart and eye—by two assailants who pulled him from his car while he waited for his gate to be opened.
- Tony Ndilinge (2001)
Tony Ndilinge was a prominent politician in the Eastern Province region who was serving as the MP for Kilome from 1992 until his demise. He was killed on August 1, 2001, in Githurai 44 estate in Nairobi.
Ndilinge was shot twice in the head at close range while parking his car outside a bar around 5 a.m. Although his vehicle was stolen, it was later recovered, with money and cheques found on his body, indicating that robbery was likely not the motive.
Before his death, Ndilinge had reported concerns for his safety and was known to be a critic of President Daniel arap Moi’s government, although he had reconciled with the ruling party, KANU, and campaigned for them in a by-election in Taita Taveta.
- Robert Ouko (1990)
Robert Ouko was a Cabinet Minister and politician before his death. Born on March 31, 1932, in Nyahera Sublocation, Central Kisumu Location, he trained as a teacher and later attended Haile Selassie University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1958, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Ouko subsequently pursued a postgraduate course in diplomacy at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
He served as Kenya’s Foreign Minister during President Daniel Moi’s administration, holding the position in two periods: from 1979 to 1983 and from 1988 to 1990.
While serving President Moi’s administration, he also had the opportunity to be a member of the National Assembly for Kisumu Rural (1979 -1983) and Kisumu Town (1988 -1990) constituencies.
Robert Ouko went missing shortly after returning from a trip to Washington, D.C., with President Daniel Arap Moi and other officials.
On February 13, 1990, Ouko was found murdered near his home in Koru, Muhoroni. His body was discovered at the foot of Got Alila Hill.
His death was linked to powerful people serving in President Moi’s administration.
- JM Kariuki (1975)
Josiah Mwangi “JM” Kariuki was a Kenyan politician and a champion of socialist ideologies, born in 1929 in Nyeri.
He was a member of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) party, where he served as Nyandarua MP. JM, who was known for his populist advocacy for the poor, criticised land grabbing and wealth concentration among the political elite under President Jomo Kenyatta, earning both admiration and enemies.
His famous slogan was that Kenya should not be a country of “10 millionaires and 10 million beggars.”
On March 2, 1975, Kariuki was last seen alive at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi around 6 p.m., reportedly in the company of senior security officials, including General Service Unit (GSU) commandant Benjamin Gethi.
His body was discovered on March 11, 1975, by a Maasai herdsman in the Ngong Hills.
- Tom Mboya (1969)
Tom Mboya was a Kenyan politician, trade unionist, and a key figure who was instrumental in Kenya gaining independence.
He was a senior politician in the Kenya African National Union (KANU). He served in Jomo Kenyatta’s administration in various capacities, including Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Minister for Labour, and Minister for Economic Planning and Development.
He was also the Member of Parliament for Nairobi Central Constituency (which is now known as Kamukunji Constituency).
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Mboya was a charismatic orator, which helped him build international ties, notably with Western nations, and he was seen as a potential successor to President Jomo Kenyatta. On July 5, 1969, Mboya was assassinated at age 38, shot twice outside a Nairobi pharmacy on Government Road, which is currently called Moi Avenue.
- Gama Pinto (1965)
Pio Gama Pinto was a journalist and politician. Born in Nairobi, he became a key figure in the fight for Kenya’s independence and in advocating for social justice and workers’ rights. Pinto was a member of the Kenya African National Union (KANU), where he served as a nominated MP and was a close ally of Tom Mboya and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
He was known for his criticism of President Jomo Kenyatta’s government, particularly regarding land policies. Pinto opposed the way land was being distributed post-independence, believing it favoured a few elites rather than addressing the needs of the broader population.
On February 24, 1965, Pinto was assassinated outside his Westlands home in Nairobi, where he was shot multiple times.
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