The legal community in Kenya is reeling after the killing of senior advocate Kyalo Mbobu, who was shot dead in a drive-by attack in Karen, Nairobi, on Tuesday evening.
Police say the assailants, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on Mr Mbobu’s vehicle as it sat in traffic at around 7:30 p.m. His windscreen was shattered before he was hit several times, including a fatal shot to the chin. The attackers fled the scene and remain at large.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has condemned the killing, describing it as a dark day for the profession and the country. “This most unfortunate occurrence marks a sad day for the legal profession and for the entire country,” said LSK president Faith Odhiambo in a statement. “We convey our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr Mbobu.”
Ms Odhiambo warned that the attack bore the “markings of a pre-determined assassination,” adding that lawyers in Kenya have increasingly been subjected to violence and intimidation because of their work. She said the profession cannot function effectively if its members fear for their lives.
“We decry this detestable act and demand that the perpetrators be hunted down and brought to book,” she said.
The Society has issued what it calls “irreducible minimums,” pressing the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to move quickly. It has drawn comparisons to the 2003 killing of MP Ong’ondo Were, where suspects were swiftly arrested. LSK says Kenyans expect the same urgency and professionalism in Mr Mbobu’s case.
Mr Mbobu was a respected figure in Kenya’s legal and academic circles. A lecturer at the University of Nairobi and the Kenya School of Law, he was celebrated for shaping generations of lawyers. He wrote widely on the law of evidence and served as chair of the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal during the tense run-up to the 2022 general election.
Born more than six decades ago, Mr Mbobu earned a law degree in Nairobi and later pursued a Master of Laws at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He was also a Certified Public Secretary and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
As news of his death spread, tributes poured in from colleagues and former students. Many described him as a scholar who combined sharp intellect with humility.
But for Kenya’s lawyers, his killing is more than a personal loss. It is a test of the country’s justice system and its ability to protect those who defend it.
Anything short of answers, they say, will only deepen public mistrust in the nation’s security forces.
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