Slain lawyer Kyalo Mbobu to be buried at his Mua home

All is set for the burial of slain lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu at his Mua home in Machakos county on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

The motive of the murder of Mbobu on September 9, 2025, is yet to be established.

A memorial service for the late lawyer was conducted at St John’s Catholic Church in Karen on Tuesday.

Lack of working CCTV cameras along Langata Road and Magadi Road where the incident happened has been partially blamed for the failure to get the killers on time.

Detectives camped in the office of slain lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu for possible clues on the motive of his murder.

The team from the Homicide Unit believes the office holds the key to his murder.

This has forced them to sieve through troves of documents in the presence of his staff for the said clues.

The team added that they had crucial clues that they were pursuing on Tuesday for a possible arrest.

The detectives have interrogated more than 15 people who include the people he met at a restaurant along Jakaya Kikwete Road before his death.

The others include his staff members, colleagues, boda boda riders who were at the scene and banks’ staff where he transacted.

The team wants to know if there were any transactions he made that could have led to his killing.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, however, expressed optimism, saying investigators have gathered valuable leads from people close to the lawyer.

“Because he is a lawyer, of course the first thing that comes to mind is whether someone was exerting revenge or attacking him by virtue of his professional duties. DCI has interviewed colleagues, family members, and is reviewing various information,” Murkomen explained.

Murkomen linked delays in apprehending suspects behind the killing to the absence of CCTV cameras along Magadi Road, where the fatal shooting occurred.

Murkomen condemned the murder, noting that unlike in the case of slain MP Ongondo Were—where CCTV footage captured suspects trailing him—detectives have found little to work with in Mbobu’s case.

“It is not easy because the area where this incident happened had no CCTV cameras,” Murkomen said. Three individuals who had been held as persons of interest in the murder were released on Saturday night.

This has sent the team to the drawing board in the murder probe. The detectives said they are still pursuing leads in the murder. The killer weapon and killers are yet to be found, police said.

Some clients of the late Mbobu have so far recorded their statements and explained the nature of the engagement they had.

Mbobu, a former chairman of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, was shot at eight times at close range, which killed him instantly on September 9, 2025.

He was driving home along Magadi Road in Nairobi when a gunman who was on a motorcycle struck.

He shot him in the neck and chest, fracturing his spine. He bled to death. The gunman who had a rider, jumped back to the motorcycle and sped off while shooting into the air.

The team is also scrutinising several surveillance footage from various places to establish if Mbobu was trailed and killed.

He had arrived at his office earlier in the day and went for morning prayers at the Holy Family Basilica before he came back to the office.

He arrived at the hotel at 11:05 am on Tuesday, where he held a three-hour lunch meeting with several individuals who are now being treated as persons of interest.

He left at about 1.45 pm after paying a bill of Sh3,800. The detectives are also relying on his mobile phone records to establish who he talked to before, during and after the meeting.

Later that day, at 5:09 pm, Mbobu left his office before heading home.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mulele Ingonga Thursday directed the Inspector General of Police to fast-track investigations into the murder incident and to submit a comprehensive status update to his office within seven days for review and further action.

He said he mourns the untimely and tragic killing of in a drive-by incident in Karen, Nairobi.

“The ODPP echoes the DCI's appeal for members of the public with any information relevant to this case to come forward and share it with law enforcement agencies without delay,” he said.

He reaffirmed the ODPP’s unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the security and dignity of every Kenyan.

He said he joins the legal fraternity and all Kenyans in mourning the untimely and tragic killing of in a drive-by incident in Karen, Nairobi.