Politician, Two Others Arrested as Probe into Nairobi Lawyer’s Killing Intensifies

Lead Kenyan detectives on Saturday arrested a local politician and two associates in connection with the September 9 assassination of prominent criminal lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu in Karen, Nairobi, as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) ramps up efforts to solve the high-profile case.

Nut Graf Mbobu, a former chair of the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting that shocked Kenya’s legal community and spurred candlelight vigils nationwide. Authorities arrested a Nairobi County assembly member and two suspects after tracing communications and eyewitness accounts, underscoring growing pressure on the DCI to swiftly deliver justice.

Main Part Detectives said the politician, whose name was withheld pending formal charge, was arrested at his constituency office on allegations of orchestrating Mbobu’s ambush near Lang’ata Road. Two accomplices were detained at separate locations in Nairobi’s outskirts after investigators matched their mobile-phone data and vehicle movements to CCTV footage from the crime scene. The DCI announced that all three will face murder charges once the files are reviewed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. “We will present compelling evidence that links the suspects to the planning and execution of this attack,” DCI director George Kinoti stated. Mbobu, 45, was driving home from court when a motorcycle-borne gunman fired multiple shots into his vehicle, killing him instantly. The killing prompted the Law Society of Kenya to demand urgent police action, calling the murder “a premeditated assassination” that undermines the rule of law. Kenyan Senate Speaker Amason Kingi echoed those concerns during a memorial service, urging investigators to “leave no stone unturned” and bring those responsible to account. This weekend’s arrests mark the DCI’s first major break in the investigation, following days of public appeals for information and the issuance of a reward for tips leading to arrests. Family and colleagues of Mbobu have praised the developments but continue to call for a thorough inquiry into possible motives and wider conspiracies.