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Cold trail 20 days later as no suspect in custody over lawyer Mbobu murder
Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu was brutally shot dead by two assailants on a motorbike.
Detectives are on the spot for failing to arrest a single suspect in the murder of lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, nearly 20 days after he was shot dead in the city.
He was killed on September 9, and as days turn into weeks, no one is in custody or facing trial.
Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo said in a recent interview that the contrast in investigations between Mr Mbobu’s murder and that of Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were was perturbing.
“In no longer than two weeks, the killers had been arrested. They were being arraigned in court. That should be the same expectation [with Mr Mbobu]. Instead, we’ve been seeing a lot of stories which are distressing to the family,” she said.
The Sunday Nation understands that detectives from the Homicide Department of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) have identified at least seven persons of interest in connection with the shooting. Those being questioned include members of his family, his staff and close friends, some of whom were in contact with him shortly before his death.
The director of one company that had been involved in a legal dispute with the deceased is also under investigation. However, sources have clarified that none of those currently being questioned are suspects at this time.
Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu, who was shot in Nairobi dead on September 9, 2025 while driving home. Inset: His vehicle at Nairobi Area Police Station in Nairobi on September 10, 2025.
Investigators have revealed that the lawyer had spoken to at least 15 individuals, including friends and colleagues, on the day he was killed.
As part of the investigation, detectives have since searched Mr Mbobu’s office and collected documents believed to be crucial to the case.
On Saturday, September 27, the Sunday Nation reached out to the National Police Service Spokesperson, Mr Michael Nyaga Muchiri, on the progress of the case. Mr Muchiri said the lawyer’s murder inquiry is an ongoing investigation with substantial resources and focus.
“Any attempt to make pointed indications about it would be outright counterproductive and needlessly unhelpful at this moment,” he said.
On the evening of September 9, 2025, Mr Mbobu was shot at close range on Magadi Road in Nairobi, in what many are calling a cold‑blooded assassination. Two men riding on a motorcycle waited for Mr Mbobu, who was driving home alone and while in traffic, opened fire. Mr Mbobu was shot eight times.
On September 12, the DCI Homicide Unit took over the investigation. Three individuals who had been arrested in connection with the case were released the following day.
After reviewing statements collected by investigators from the Lang’ata DCI office, the new team determined there was no justification to continue holding the three men, who had been in custody since September 11.
Those arrested were of interest to investigators from the DCI’s Operations Support Unit (OSU) after CCTV footage revealed they were among the last people seen with the lawyer before his death.
On September 15, Inspector-General (IG) of Police Douglas Kanja said that the detectives had obtained new leads into the murder of the lawyer.
The IG said that investigations into the gruesome murder were in advanced stages, with several culprits linked to the lawyer’s murder on the radar.
He said that he had already directed the DCI boss, Mohamed Amin, to expedite the investigation into Mr Mbobu’s murder and ensure the case is concluded promptly.
However, the IG did not give a timeline, emphasising that the detectives needed sufficient time to conduct a thorough investigation.
At the time, he said that it was too early to commit to the timelines since investigations were still ongoing and no significant arrests had so far been made.
“Investigations are in progress, and I have directed the DCI that we need to move with speed, and that is exactly what he is doing. Currently, we are following very useful leads,” he said.
“Initially, we arrested three people, but the investigators cleared them. We are on the right track, and we are going to catch the culprits.”
Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu was brutally shot dead by two assailants on a motorbike in an attack that detectives have ruled out as a robbery. The well-planned attack, which involved eight gunshots, suggests that it was a premeditated assassination.
The IG also expressed concerns about Kenyans’ reluctance to provide information that could help trace the murder suspects, particularly witnesses.
On his part, Mr Amin revealed that he had assembled a robust team from the homicide department to expedite the murder probe.
He said that the three who were arrested and then released remain persons of interest in the ongoing investigations.
Mr Amin added that detectives had made significant leads in the murder investigation of lawyer Mbobu but declined to reveal further details, citing the sensitivity of the case.
“The murder of the advocate is a matter we are handling with utmost seriousness,” said Mr Amin. “We have assembled a dedicated team from our homicide unit…Apprehending the killers remains a top priority.”
Police are still awaiting results of a ballistics report on shell casings from the scene, and bullets that government pathologist Johansen Oduor retrieved from the lawyer’s body after his autopsy.
An autopsy revealed that he was shot eight times, most of the bullets striking Mr Mbobu’s head and upper body.
At the scene, officers recovered several spent cartridges, which have been forwarded to the National Forensic Laboratory for ballistic analysis.
