Senior lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu was shot in a drive-by near Galleria Mall, Nairobi.
Nairobi was thrown into shock on Tuesday evening after well-known lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu was gunned down in a daring drive-by shooting along the Galleria–Brookhouse stretch in Karen South. Police say the 54-year-old was driving towards Ongata Rongai when a man on a motorcycle pulled alongside his car and opened fire.
The gunman fled the scene immediately, leaving motorists panicked as traffic came to a standstill. Police cordoned off the busy road and urged drivers to seek alternative routes.
Mbobu was not only a Senior Partner at Kyalo & Associates Advocates, but also a celebrated figure in Kenya’s legal and governance sectors. He specialised in commercial litigation, arbitration, and corporate governance, and had built a career spanning more than 29 years.
The Institute of Directors Kenya described him as “a highly respected practitioner and governance expert.”
Outside the courtroom, Mbobu held leadership positions in the corporate world. He chaired Quest Holdings Ltd and Core Capital Group Ltd, offering strategic guidance in the private sector.
He also previously served as Chairperson of the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal, sat on the board of the Institute of Directors Kenya, and was a trustee of Corat Africa, where he contributed to faith-based governance.
Mbobu lectured at both the University of Nairobi School of Law and the Kenya School of Law, shaping future generations of lawyers. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
He was also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Certified Public Secretary of Kenya, credentials that cemented his recognition beyond Kenya’s borders.
Police have begun investigations into the killing, which has sparked alarm over the rise of insecurity in Nairobi’s upscale neighbourhoods. Authorities are yet to confirm the motive behind the assassination.
