Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has urged politicians to embrace political tolerance following the brutal murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were on March 30, 2025.

Speaking during the burial of the slain MP on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Homa Bay, Raila decried yet another case of what he termed as political assassination targeted at a member from a region that has suffered the brunt of the deadly vice.

The ODM leader stated it is time the political murders come to an end.

“We have to have an end to this kind of act. The people who killed Ong’ondo are known and should be brought to book immediately. We know this is a political assassination which has been ignored in this region. We’ve seen people who have been assassinated. We knew Tom Mboya was assassinated. He was shot by Njenga. There is Odhiambo Mbai, who was shot in cold blood in front of his family, and nothing happened,” Raila said.

“We have seen quite a number of these assassinations, and these must come to an end. We must build a tolerant society where people can disagree but then shake hands at the end of it all,” he added.

“We must institutionalize the democratic process in our country. Where people tolerate each other compete, and at the end of it shake hands and move on,” he added.

Raila further termed himself as an embodiment of tolerant behaviour, referencing how they abandoned demonstrations for political reforms following the 2022 election loss to President William Ruto.

Democracy

“We had a crisis last year and the year before last where we were on the streets. But something Kenyans need to internalize and be part of our culture is that you can compete without fighting, and at the end of it, people shake hands, and life has to continue. It’s how democracies are built, and because our elections are not perfect. But Kenya is much more important than individuals, if we break it, there is no other Kenya for us tomorrow,” he warned. 

He also recounted his first meeting with Were in Meru, where he says the MP played a key role in popularising the party in a hostile area.

 “Ong’ondo Were is a great Kenyan by his standards. I knew him for over 20 years, and I’m the one who invited him to come here to Kasipul. When I went to Meru to introduce my party, I met him and he introduced me to other leaders there. He lived there, and he built the party branch to be very strong in an area that was hostile.