Kenya is in shock after the brutal killing of Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, a respected senior lawyer and legal scholar, who was shot dead in a drive-by attack on Tuesday evening in Nairobi.
Police reports say Mbobu was driving near the Lang’ata-Magadi road junction in Karen, an upscale area about 10km from the city centre, when a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire at close range. Eyewitnesses described hearing multiple gunshots before his car came to a stop.
A chilling video that surfaced online showed his lifeless body slumped on the steering wheel, with the car window shattered by bullets — a sight that has left many Kenyans disturbed and outraged.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) condemned the killing, calling it “abhorrent” and urging police to move swiftly. LSK president Faith Odhiambo said the incident bore all the signs of a “premeditated assassination,” stressing that lawyers have too often become targets for simply doing their jobs.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi also mourned the loss, describing Mbobu as a brilliant legal mind who once taught him at university. He demanded urgent investigations to bring the killers to justice. Colleagues and former students joined in paying glowing tributes, recalling his years as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and his mentorship of young lawyers.
Mbobu’s career was influential and sometimes controversial. He had chaired the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) and the Business Premises Rent Tribunal (BPRT), roles that placed him at the heart of high-stakes political and commercial disputes.
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced that investigations are underway and urged the public to remain calm, assuring that justice will be served.
The murder has drawn parallels with the April assassination of MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was also gunned down in Nairobi under similar circumstances. The resemblance has sparked growing fears about the return of politically connected killings in the country.
By Wednesday, news of Mbobu’s death had dominated conversations nationwide, with Kenyans flooding social media with grief and anger. For many, his assassination is not only a blow to the legal profession but also a painful reminder of the rising impunity threatening the nation.
