The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested a police constable suspected of fatally shooting prominent lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu in a targeted attack along Magadi Road, Nairobi, in September 2025.
Police Constable Julius Cheruiyot was arrested after detectives investigating the killing recovered a Ceska pistol that had been issued to him at the time of the shooting. The DCI said ballistic tests confirmed that the firearm was used to kill Mbobu.
The agency described the development as a “major breakthrough” in the investigation.
“Ballistic examination has since confirmed that the firearm was indeed used in the shooting that claimed the life of Lawyer Mbobu,” the DCI said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Mbobu was shot on September 9, 2025, while driving home from work along Magadi Road in Nairobi. The DCI said specialised investigators from its Homicide Directorate, working with forensic experts, conducted an extensive investigation to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the killing.
The agency said detectives have also identified Inspector Kenneth Sang as a person suspected of coordinating the operation. Sang is currently at large, according to the DCI.
The statement says Sang allegedly coordinated the operation “in liaison with Rose Mbithe,” who is already in police custody in connection with the killing of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso.
Mutiso was fatally shot on July 29, 2026, in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area. The DCI did not set out further details of the alleged connection between the two investigations in its statement.
The agency said the investigation into Mbobu’s murder remains active as detectives pursue additional leads.
“The DCI further assures the public that investigations remain active, with detectives pursuing additional leads to establish the full circumstances, motive, planning and execution of the murder,” the statement said.
Cheruiyot remains in police custody and is being processed pending arraignment in court, according to the DCI.
The probe
The agency said it was continuing to pursue all people suspected of participating in the murder, regardless of their position or affiliation.
“The DCI remains committed to pursuing all persons suspected to have participated in the murder, regardless of their position or affiliation, and ensuring that they are brought before the law,” it said.
The latest development comes as investigators seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killing, including who planned and coordinated the attack and the motive behind it.
The DCI said the investigation would continue until those suspected of involvement are identified and apprehended.
The agency also expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of Mbobu and Mutiso, saying it recognised the “pain and anguish” endured by their loved ones.
The allegations against Cheruiyot and Sang are yet to be tested in court. Cheruiyot is expected to be arraigned following completion of police processing, while the DCI says efforts to locate Sang and investigate other suspected participants are continuing.
