Nairobi lawyer Kyalo Mbobu was tragically gunned down, prompting a widespread investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) into the circumstances surrounding his assassination. Police are meticulously tracing Mbobu’s final movements, utilizing CCTV footage and mobile phone records to piece together the events that led to his death and identify those responsible.

Known by many from his time in law school, the Catholic Church, or within the corridors of justice, Kyalo Mbobu was often described as a demure and ever-smiling lawyer. His soft-spoken yet impactful presence was felt in various cases, including a notable land dispute between KCB Bank and former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cousins, Kung’u Muigai and Ngengi Muigai, involving a 443-acre parcel of land.

Investigators have revealed a crucial meeting Mbobu attended at the Sagret Hotel on Milimani Road, where he arrived at 11:05 a.m. and spent three hours with several “persons of interest” who are now under scrutiny. The group reportedly shared a lunch costing Sh3,000 before Mbobu departed the hotel at 1:45 p.m. to return to his office. Police are further tracking his vehicle’s movements from when he left his office at Town House at 5:09 p.m., heading towards his home in Karen. Surveillance and phone data indicate his route from the city center, through Wabera Street, City Hall Way, Parliament Road, Uhuru Highway, Nyayo roundabout, Langata Road, and eventually onto Magadi Road.

The fatal attack occurred approximately 40 minutes into his journey, just minutes away from his home on Magadi Road. Eyewitnesses described a swift assault by assailants on a motorbike, who then fled the scene towards the Galleria Mall area. A passenger on a bus, Peris Wambugu, recounted seeing a fully hooded shooter calmly walk past other vehicles with a gun in hand before hopping onto a waiting motorcycle and escaping. Reports indicate Mbobu’s window was shattered, and he sustained at least three gunshots to the chin, slumping lifelessly at the wheel. Nothing was stolen from the scene, leaving the motive for the killing unclear.

In the wake of his murder, questions have arisen regarding a viral online video. The Senior Counsel Bar (SCB) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) have not only mourned Mbobu’s brutal death but the SCB has urged the DCI to investigate this video, which emerged online just hours before the lawyer was killed. In the 15-minute video, retired Captain Kungu Muigai claimed Mbobu had represented him in a decades-long dispute against a local bank, which Muigai accused of colluding with corrupt judges to seize family land. Muigai alleged he possessed solid evidence and witnesses to prove judicial bribery. The Judiciary, through spokesperson Paul Ndemo, dismissed Muigai’s allegations, labeling them as “ridiculous,” “tricks of bad faith, malice and a camouflaged agenda,” stating no competent forum had ever found evidence of judicial impropriety.

The legal community is taking a firm stand against violence targeting their profession. The LSK announced a countrywide Purple Ribbon March for Friday, September 12, to protest Mbobu’s killing and condemn rising violence. In Nairobi, the peaceful procession is set to begin at the Milimani Law Courts and proceed to Vigilance House, where a memorandum of grievances will be presented to the Inspector General of Police. Simultaneously, the postmortem examination of Mbobu has commenced at Lee Funeral Home under the supervision of Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor, with family members and Nairobi Regional DCI boss Benson Kasyoki from the Homicide Unit present. Detectives have assured Kenyans that all necessary resources are being deployed to thoroughly investigate the fatal attack and have appealed for public calm and cooperation, urging anyone with information to report it to the nearest police station.