The slain city lawyer, Kyalo Mbobu, was mourned at a tightly guarded memorial service, where grief and outrage were intertwined, and his family cursed his killers.
The service, held on Tuesday at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Karen, Nairobi, unfolded amid tight security, with cameras barred and journalists expelled.
What was intended as a solemn farewell quickly turned into a poignant display of sorrow, silence, and smouldering anger in response to the brutal murder that has shocked the legal community and the nation.
Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu was brutally shot dead by two assailants on a motorbike.
Photo credit: File | Nation
At the heart of the service stood his widow, Anne Kyalo Mwende, her voice trembling as she traced their 33-year journey together — from when she was an 18-year-old schoolgirl who was courted with patience and "two tropical sweets", to their marriage, which was steeped in faith and discipline.
“Every day before work, he would kiss me goodbye and say, ‘Thank you honey, I appreciate you,’” she said. But her grief turned to outrage as she recalled how she learned of his death.
“My son saw it on TV before I did. Social media told me my husband was gone. That was cruel,” she said, accusing online platforms and some media houses of spreading misleading claims about her husband. “We don’t know anything about what people are saying out there. Please, just be sensitive.”
Lawyer Mbobu’s elder sister, Elizabeth Ngau, said the family was deeply tormented by the death and declared, “For those who did this, let there be no peace.”
Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The memorial service drew high-profile figures including Chief Justice Martha Koome, retired Chief Justice David Maraga, First Lady Rachel Ruto, Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo, former Attorney General Amos Wako and political leaders Eugene Wamalwa and Kalonzo Musyoka.
On behalf of the legal fraternity, Ms Odhiambo assured the family that lawyers would not relent until justice was delivered.
“We will keep on fighting for you as a family. The team of lawyers you see here are available to represent you and ensure that justice is served following this brutal murder,” she said.
Chief Justice Koome called on security agencies to act swiftly to stem the rising trend of gangland-style killings in the country.
Leading the Judiciary, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and members of the legal fraternity in mourning, Justice Koome said the murder had shocked the nation. She urged Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanje and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) “to pursue all leads and ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous murder are brought to justice.”
Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu was brutally shot dead by two assailants on a motorbike in an attack that detectives have ruled out as a robbery.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Mr Mbobu was shot eight times on Magadi Road, Lang’ata, on September 2, 2025
She also noted with concern that Mbobu’s killing came only months after the cold-blooded murder of Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were near the City Mortuary in April 2025.
“The brutal murder of such a distinguished jurist and scholar is not only a personal tragedy for his family but also a grievous assault on the values of justice, democracy, and the rule of law that he so faithfully upheld,” CJ Koome said in her condolence message.
The CJ, who studied with Mbobu at both the University of Nairobi and the Kenya School of Law, described him as “a humble, generous, and professional person in all his dealings as an advocate.” She also highlighted his scholarship, noting that he authored the much-cited book The Law and Practice of Evidence.
Family spokesman and Mmbobu’s brother James Maluki, himself a lawyer, said the family was desperate to know the motive behind the killing.
“All the family needs is to know why this happened and to see justice for our bporther, who was a peace-loving person and a beacon of hope for us,” he said.
Mourners arrive at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Karen, Nairobi, on September 16, 2025, for the funeral service of lawyer Kyalo Mbobu, who was shot dead along Magadi Road on September 9, 2025, while driving home.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation
“We will walk with you as a family in this journey. We have been very close and we are here to support you in whatever you are going to do,” she said, pledging the backing of President William Ruto.
Although politicians were barred from addressing mourners, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior—whom the family described as “close”—was the only exception.
The late Mbobu will be interred at his home in Mua, Machakos County. The burial rites, including a two-hour mass, will be presided over by the Catholic Church.
His body will leave Lee Funeral Home on September 17, 2025, at 7 am for his Machakos home.
