The year-long investigation into the killing of prominent lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu has taken a major turn after detectives arrested a serving police constable and recovered a firearm that ballistic experts linked to the fatal shooting.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced the breakthrough on Thursday, September 24, 2026, nearly one year after Mbobu was gunned down while driving home along Magadi Road in Nairobi.
The officer was identified as Police Constable Julius Cheruiyot, whom detectives suspect was the gunman who fatally shot the lawyer on September 9, 2025.
According to the DCI, detectives recovered a Ceska pistol that had been issued to Cheruiyot at the time of the incident.
A ballistic examination subsequently established that the firearm was used in the shooting.
The development provides investigators with a significant piece of forensic evidence as they continue trying to establish the people behind the planning, execution and motive of the attack.
DCI explains major breakthrough
In its statement issued on Thursday, the DCI said its detectives had spent the past year pursuing multiple leads in an effort to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding Mbobu’s death.
The agency said:
“Following an intensive and painstaking investigation over the past year, detectives have identified and arrested Police Constable Julius Cheruiyot, suspected of being the gunman who fatally shot the lawyer.”
The DCI added that detectives had recovered the Ceska pistol issued to Cheruiyot and subjected it to ballistic examination.
“Ballistic examination has since confirmed that the firearm was indeed used in the shooting that claimed the life of Lawyer Mbobu,” the agency stated.
The findings, according to the investigative agency, have strengthened the evidentiary trail as detectives pursue other people suspected of involvement.
Cheruiyot remains in custody as investigators process him ahead of his arraignment in court. The allegations against him will be tested through the criminal justice process.
How Kyalo Mbobu was killed
Mbobu was shot on the evening of Tuesday, September 9, 2025, as he drove home from work along Magadi Road.
The lawyer was caught in traffic when a gunman riding on a motorcycle approached his vehicle and opened fire.
The attack shocked Kenya’s legal fraternity, with the Law Society of Kenya and other lawyers demanding a thorough investigation and the arrest of those responsible.
An autopsy conducted after his death established that Mbobu had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Earlier investigations recovered spent cartridges from the scene, while detectives also obtained CCTV footage that helped them reconstruct some of the lawyer’s final movements before the shooting.
The footage showed Mbobu leaving his office before driving through Nairobi towards Magadi Road.
Another police officer wanted
The latest development has also brought renewed attention to Inspector Kenneth Sang, whom the DCI says is suspected of coordinating the operation.
Sang remains at large.
According to the investigative agency, he allegedly coordinated the operation in liaison with Rose Mbithe, who is currently in custody in connection with the separate murder investigation involving Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso.
The DCI is now examining the possible connections between the two investigations as detectives continue pursuing additional suspects.
The agency has not publicly disclosed the full motive behind Mbobu’s killing, saying investigations are still ongoing.
Possible link to Dr Victoria Mutiso case
The arrest comes against the backdrop of the wider investigation into the July 2026 killing of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso in Nairobi.
Mutiso was fatally shot in Upper Hill on July 29, 2026, in a separate incident that has since led detectives to several suspects, including serving police officers.
The DCI had previously said some suspects in the Mutiso case could potentially be connected to the September 2025 shooting of Mbobu.
Investigators have been examining whether there are common links between the two cases, including individuals suspected of facilitating or coordinating the attacks.
The possible connection has added a new dimension to the Mbobu investigation, although detectives have yet to disclose the complete evidence linking the two cases.
Who was Kyalo Mbobu?
Mbobu was a prominent advocate, legal scholar and former lecturer at the University of Nairobi.
He was also previously associated with the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and had built a career handling high-profile legal matters.
His death prompted widespread concern within the legal profession, particularly because he was killed while travelling home after completing his day’s work.
The Law Society of Kenya had called for a thorough investigation, while colleagues and family members repeatedly urged authorities to identify those behind the killing.
A year after the shooting, the arrest of Cheruiyot and recovery of the firearm have now provided detectives with a fresh evidentiary trail.
The DCI, however, says the investigation is far from over.
The agency has vowed to pursue everyone suspected of having participated in the murder, regardless of their position or affiliation, while detectives continue working to establish the full circumstances, motive and planning behind the attack.
For Mbobu’s family, colleagues and the wider legal fraternity, the latest development marks a major step in a case that had remained unresolved for almost 12 months.
The key new angle is the forensic trail linking the recovered Ceska pistol to the shooting, while the wider context connects the investigation to the separate Mutiso case without presenting the alleged links as established fact.
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