The daylight execution of city lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu has sparked grief and fury across Kenya, with investigators piecing together CCTV and phone data that reveal how his final hours unfolded before the fatal ambush on September 9, 2025.
Mbobu, a respected senior advocate, was fatally shot in a drive-by attack near the Lang’ata–Magadi Road junction in Nairobi’s affluent Karen estate. CCTV footage and phone data have since pieced together the grim picture of a well-orchestrated ambush.
On the morning of his death, Mbobu arrived at his Chester House office before proceeding to Sagret Hotel on Milimani Road at 11:05 a.m., where he held a three-hour meeting with several individuals now considered persons of interest. After lunch, he returned to his office at 1:45 p.m.
At 5:09 p.m., cameras captured him leaving the building. A man in black, carrying a backpack and speaking on the phone, quickly ended his call as Mbobu walked past – an act detectives now believe signaled coordinated surveillance. His car was later tracked through Wabera Street, Parliament Road, and Lang’ata Road, before diverting onto Magadi Road, just minutes from his Boyani home in Karen.
Detectives believe his killers, who had been trailing him, struck on the quieter stretch of Magadi Road where traffic slows, offering the perfect opportunity for the hit. Eyewitnesses reported hearing rapid gunfire. “We first thought it was just a motorbike making some noise, then suddenly we heard screams – someone had been shot,” said one resident. Mbobu was hit 8 times and died instantly.
The assassination has devastated his family. His 86-year-old mother, in tears, pleaded: “Kyalo is my second child, and he has done so many great things for me. He was a very good man. I am asking the government to help me in this case.”
His brother, lawyer James Maluki, described him as “trustworthy and deeply committed to his family,” expressing disbelief at the violent end to his life.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has condemned the killing, calling it a “predetermined assassination.” President Faith Odhiambo warned, “Too often, advocates have been victimized and targeted for the work that they do.” The LSK has since announced a nationwide Purple Ribbon March to demand justice and security for lawyers.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed Inspector General Douglas Kanja to provide a full investigation report within seven days, demonstrating the urgency of the case.
While widely respected in the legal field, Mbobu’s life also carried shadows. Reports suggest he was grappling with mounting debts, blacklisting by banks, and lawsuits over withheld funds. In one high-profile case, he was accused of failing to remit KSh97 million from a church land sale, with a court ordering repayment.
The revelations paint a portrait of a man navigating a double life celebrated in public as a seasoned legal mind yet privately weighed down by financial turmoil and legal controversies.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has vowed to leave no stone unturned. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that “persons of interest already identified” are being interrogated.
For many, Mbobu’s killing is not just the silencing of a lawyer but a perfect reminder of the rising danger faced by professionals in Kenya.
As the nation mourns, the haunting CCTV images of his final day stand as the most powerful evidence yet of a life cut short by a meticulously planned assassination.
