Prominent Kenyan lawyer shot dead in Nairobi drive-by attack
By DL News
Published
2 min read
Mbobu was driving home on Tuesday evening when a gunman on a motorcycle pulled alongside his car near the Lang’ata-Magadi road junction in Nairobi’s Karen estate and opened fire.
Kenya is reeling after the fatal shooting of Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, a respected senior lawyer and former head of the Political Parties’ Dispute Tribunal, in what appears to be a targeted assassination.
Mbobu was driving home on Tuesday evening when a gunman on a motorcycle pulled alongside his car near the Lang’ata-Magadi road junction in Nairobi’s Karen estate and opened fire. Witnesses said several shots were heard before the assailant sped off. A disturbing video circulated online later showed his car with shattered windows and his lifeless body slumped over the steering wheel.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) strongly condemned the killing, describing it as abhorrent and bearing the hallmarks of a planned assassination. LSK President Faith Odhiambo expressed alarm at the rising threats to advocates, noting that lawyers are too often targeted because of their work.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an inquiry, urging the public to remain calm and share any information that could assist investigations. Officials said they were committed to securing justice for Mbobu and his family.
Parliamentary leaders also voiced outrage. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi called the incident a cold-blooded killing that had devastated the country. He urged the police to conduct swift and thorough investigations, describing Mbobu as not only a distinguished lawyer but also an outstanding law scholar and dedicated public servant who once lectured him at university.
Mbobu lectured at the University of Nairobi, where he was admired for his legal scholarship and mentorship of students. He previously chaired both the Political Parties’ Dispute Tribunal (PPDT), which adjudicates sensitive political conflicts, and the Business Rent Premises Tribunal (BPRT), placing him at the centre of contentious disputes in law and politics.
His killing, which comes just months after the assassination of MP Charles Ong’ondo Were in April under similar circumstances, has renewed fears of rising political violence in Kenya. Police said several suspects had been arrested in that earlier case and charged with what was described as a targeted attack.
