Police in Bungoma County have arrested five suspects in connection with last week’s shooting and killing of former councillor and Mt. Elgon parliamentary aspirant Nathan Wasama.
Two of the suspects, Robert Kimtai alias Miti and Brian Chongin Kaos, presented themselves at Chwele and Cheptais police stations as detectives pursued leads into the killing.
Three other suspects were arrested during a raid at the home of Mt. Elgon Member of Parliament (MP) Fred Kapondi.
Bungoma County Police Commander Anderson Njagi said the suspects were in custody assisting detectives with investigations into the killing.
“Concerning the murder of former councillor, the late Nathan Wasama, we have so far arrested five suspects who are helping us with the investigations,” Njagi said.
Njagi also confirmed the raid at the MP’s home where police seized three motorcycles suspected to have been used in the attack, as well as crude weapons and a hand grenade.
He said the officers did not recover any firearms during the search of the MP’s home.
“We went to the area Member of Parliament Fred Kapondi’s home. There was a search, but we did not find any firearms. What we found were the motorbikes, some crude weapons and one hand grenade,” he said.
Njagi dismissed claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that police were shielding suspects linked to murder, saying investigations were ongoing and officers would leave no stone unturned until the killing was unraveled.
Wasama, a former councillor who recently declared interest in the Mt. Elgon parliamentary seat, was shot on Thursday night last week in an incident that has heightened security concerns in the region.
The killing was reportedly the second attempt on his life, having survived an earlier shooting incident in 2024.
The incident has renewed concerns over insecurity and the proliferation of illegal firearms in Mt. Elgon, a region that has previously experienced cycles of violent conflict.
Njagi said security agencies would continue pursuing criminal elements and illegal firearms in the area, assuring residents that police would not allow the region to slide back into the insecurity of the past.
By Chris Mahandara
