Mbobu, a former chairman of the Political
Parties Disputes Tribunal, was ambushed at around 5.30 p.m. as he drove alone
to his Bogani residence in Karen.
Police say he was shot at least three times in the chin and head at close
range.
According to investigators, the gunman and his
rider trailed Mbobu’s four-wheel-drive vehicle from the Galleria Mall.
Security footage shows the pair following him slowly past Brookhouse School
before stopping about 40 meters from where his car was stuck in traffic.
The assailant, armed with a pistol, walked to
the driver’s side and fired through a half-closed window, shattering the glass.
Witnesses said the lawyer’s car rolled forward and hit a matatu as terrified
passengers scrambled for safety.
Police collected three spent cartridges at the
scene. Nothing was stolen from Mbobu, reinforcing suspicions that he was the
target of a planned hit.
After the shooting, the gunman ran back to the
waiting motorcycle.
When boda boda riders attempted to
chase them, he fired twice into the air, scattering the crowd before speeding
toward the city centre.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations (DCI) and the Homicide Unit combed the scene for evidence and
have begun tracing Mbobu’s last movements. DCI Director Mohamed Amin confirmed
the matter is being treated as murder.
Preliminary findings show that earlier in the
day, Mbobu left his office on Koinange Street, had lunch at a restaurant on
Jakaya Kikwete Road, then drove through Valley Road and Lang’ata Road before
joining Magadi Road.
Investigators visited the restaurant on Wednesday to establish who he met
before the attack.
First responders said they found him slumped
on the driver’s seat with the engine still running.
“He had been shot in the head. By the time help reached him, he had died,”
said a witness.
The killing caused a heavy traffic jam that
stretched for kilometres before the area was cleared.
Police say they have not established the
motive but are considering whether the attack was linked to Mbobu’s legal work.
He had represented clients in several high-profile disputes in recent years.
The murder has drawn parallels with other
violent incidents targeting prominent figures.
In April 2025, Kasipul MP Charles Were survived an armed attack near City
Mortuary.
And in November 2024, Dr. Wilfred Mutubwa, Vice Chairperson of the Political
Disputes Tribunal and Dean of Mount Kenya University’s School of Law, died
suddenly during a virtual court session.
Mutubwa was also a leading figure in the promotion of Alternative Dispute
Resolution (ADR).
Mbobu’s death has shocked the legal
fraternity, where he was respected as both a lawyer and a lecturer.
Detectives say they are pursuing leads from security cameras along Magadi
Road as the investigation continues.
