From Bullet to Ballot: A Son’s Pledge for Peace After Father’s Assassination

Kasipul Member of Parliament Boyd Were said he will not seek revenge for the April 30, 2025, killing of his father, Ong’ondo Were, instead urging the country to pursue healing and reconciliation.

He told the National Assembly that the shooting left his family with a deep wound, but he would focus on truth, closure and justice that restores dignity rather than retaliation.

“Revenge cannot raise the dead, cannot comfort a grieving family and cannot build a nation,” Were said. “I seek healing, reconciliation and an end to the cycles of violence that have stolen too many fathers, mothers and children from this country.”

Were cited the attack on Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma during voting as an example of insecurity surrounding the recent by-elections. He honored those who died during political campaigns, saying their memories should strengthen efforts to ensure no family loses a loved one because of politics.

He urged Kenyans, government officials, faith leaders, civil society and international partners to help build a political culture rooted in ideas rather than intimidation.

Addressing residents of Kasipul, Were vowed to champion the needs of widows, youth, farmers and children. He said electricity access, clean water, road networks and long-term development remain the foundation of dignity and progress.

“This is not just my assignment, it’s a covenant with my people,” he said, pledging to steer Kasipul toward peaceful coexistence and economic growth.

Ong’ondo Were was shot dead April 30 in Nairobi by gunmen on a motorcycle. Police said the attackers had trailed his vehicle before one assailant stepped off the motorbike and fired at close range along Ngong Road, near a roundabout monitored by traffic police and security cameras.

“The nature of this crime appears to be both targeted and predetermined,” police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said.

An autopsy found five cartridges in the MP’s body, with death caused by multiple internal injuries from gunshot wounds. Boyd Were was later elected to fill the parliamentary vacancy left by his father.