Kenya is in mourning following the shocking assassination of Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, a prominent lawyer and former head of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, who was killed in a drive-by shooting on a busy Nairobi street. On Tuesday evening, while driving home along Lang’ata/Magadi Road, Mbobu was ambushed by a gunman on a motorcycle who pulled alongside his vehicle and opened fire. Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots as the attack unfolded. The motive remains unclear, though the incident bears disturbing similarities to the killing of MP Charles Ong’ondo Were earlier this year, which authorities described as a targeted assassination. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) condemned Mbobu’s murder as “abhorrent,” calling for swift and conclusive action. LSK President Faith Odhiambo expressed deep concern over the increasing threats faced by legal professionals, stating that the killing had “all markings of a predetermined assassination” and highlighting the frequent victimization of advocates due to their work. A graphic video circulating online shows the lawyer’s bloodied body slumped over the steering wheel, his car window shattered. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi described the murder as a “cold-blooded killing” that has left the nation devastated, urging police to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. In the earlier case of MP Were, several suspects were arrested and some have since been charged, reinforcing fears of a pattern of politically motivated violence targeting public figures.
