Nairobi, Kenya – The brazen assassination of prominent Nairobi lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu has thrust Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and allegations of judicial corruption into the spotlight, with growing suspicion that his death may be tied to a long-running land dispute involving the bank.
Mbobu, a respected legal scholar, former chair of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, and author of The Law and Practice of Evidence in Kenya, was gunned down on the evening of September 9, 2025. He was driving along Lang’ata Road near Galleria Mall in Karen when assailants on a motorcycle opened fire and fled the scene. The 59-year-old lawyer died instantly. Police say investigations are ongoing, but no arrests had been made by September 10.
Attention quickly turned to Mbobu’s high-profile representation of Captain Kung’u Muigai, a retired military officer and cousin of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, in a bitter legal battle against KCB. The case centers on the 443-acre Muiri Coffee Estate in Juja, valued at more than Sh3 billion. Muigai alleges the land was fraudulently auctioned by KCB in 2007 for just Sh70 million following a disputed loan facility advanced to his company, Benjoh Amalgamated Ltd.
In the days leading up to Mbobu’s killing, a video of Muigai resurfaced online in which he accused KCB of colluding with corrupt judges to influence rulings, claiming more than Sh825 million in bribes were paid to judicial officers, including senior judges at the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. He directly named Chief Justice Martha Koome and several sitting and retired judges.
The Judiciary moved swiftly to dismiss the allegations, saying Muigai had presented no evidence and accusing him of acting in bad faith. It noted that the dispute dates back to 1989 and that multiple courts, most recently the Court of Appeal in May 2024, had ruled in KCB’s favor.
Mbobu’s murder has triggered outrage within Kenya’s legal and political circles. Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris condemned the attack as “a grave affront to justice,” while former Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi described the judiciary as “a den of corruption” and demanded the resignation of implicated judges. The East Africa Law Society also called for a transparent investigation, warning that attacks on lawyers undermine the rule of law. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi echoed calls for swift police action.
The killing has also revived debate about the dangers facing lawyers who take on powerful institutions, and the broader issue of judicial integrity in Kenya. Online discussions have recalled Mbobu’s involvement in sensitive political disputes, including a controversial 2022 late-night meeting with then-IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati during the election tallying process.
As police hunt his killers, the case underscores deep public concerns over corruption in Kenya’s financial and judicial systems. Advocates say only a credible investigation will restore confidence in the rule of law.
KCB had not issued a public statement on the matter by press time.
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