Who Was Mathew Kyalo Mbobu?

Prominent lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu who is allegedly killed/HANDOUT

Kenya’s legal community is grieving after the tragic shooting of Advocate Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, an experienced lawyer and senior partner at Kyalo & Associates Advocates.

He was fatally shot in a suspected drive-by attack on Lang’ata Road, near Galleria Mall in Karen, on Tuesday, August 9th.

Police reported that a gunman on a motorcycle approached Mbobu's vehicle, fired shots, and then quickly sped off.

Preliminary assessments suggest the attack was a targeted killing, with investigators probing possible professional, personal, or political motives.

Mbobu was a distinguished Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with nearly three decades of experience in commercial litigation, arbitration, and corporate governance.

He served as Senior Partner at Kyalo & Associates Advocates, where he handled high-profile cases.

Beyond private practice, Mbobu held several governance and leadership roles. He was Chairman of the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT), where he presided over sensitive intra-party disputes, and a Board Member of the Institute of Directors (IOD) Kenya. He also chaired the Business Rent Premises Tribunal, although a court later ruled the appointment procedure irregular.

In academia, Mbobu lectured at the University of Nairobi’s Faculty of Law and the Kenya School of Law. He held an LL.B with Honours and an LL.M from Georgetown University, was a Certified Public Secretary (CPS-K), and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb). He also authored The Law and Practice of Evidence in Kenya, a respected legal text.

His professional footprint extended to corporate leadership, where he served as a trustee of Corat Africa and chaired Quest Holdings Ltd and Core Capital Group Ltd. He had also been actively involved in recent litigation, including notable 2025 cases touching on land, environment, and commercial law.

Mbobu’s assassination has sent shockwaves across Kenya’s legal and governance circles, with colleagues describing him as a meticulous arbitrator and mentor.

Police say investigations are ongoing.