Kenya is facing a chilling wave of targeted killings executed by boda boda hitmen. The recent assassination of City Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu in Nairobi has reignited fears about the growing culture of impunity.
Barely five months earlier, Kasipul Kabondo MP Ong’ondo Were was also gunned down in a similar attack at the City Mortuary roundabout.
These two high-profile killings underline a disturbing trend where assassins on motorcycles operate freely in the capital and beyond, leaving citizens questioning whether the Kenya Kwanza administration has lost control of the streets.
The assassination of City Lawyer Kyalu Mbobu
On the evening of September 9, 2025, the city’s legal fraternity was thrown into shock after the cold-blooded murder of Advocate Mathew Kyalu Mbobu. The seasoned lawyer, with more than three decades of practice, was driving near the Galleria Brookside area along Magadi Road when his vehicle was ambushed. Two gunmen riding on motorcycles sprayed bullets into his car before fleeing into the night.
Police who arrived at the scene confirmed that Mbobu was hit multiple times. His lifeless body was transferred to Lee Funeral Home while investigators towed his vehicle to Lang’ata Police Station. Detectives later revealed the attack bore all the hallmarks of a targeted killing.
CCTV footage from Lang’ata Road is expected to provide clues, but Kenyans have heard this line too many times before. Justice rarely follows. Mbobu was not an ordinary lawyer. He once chaired the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and mentored generations of young lawyers at the University of Nairobi.
His writings on evidence law remain influential in the legal fraternity. The brazenness of his murder has sent shivers across the legal profession, with many advocates now fearing they could be next.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo released a statement describing Mbobu’s death as a brutal assassination. She called on security agencies to move with speed, warning that any delay would amount to dereliction of duty. But her statement, though strongly worded, carried a tone of fatigue. Observers noted that her energy has been low in recent days, even in her public engagements online.
The earlier killing of Hon Ong’ondo Were
Mbobu’s murder is not an isolated case. On April 30, 2025, Hon. Ong’ondo Were, the MP for Kasipul Kabondo, was assassinated in a similar manner. He was trailed by armed assailants after leaving Parliament and was killed at the busy Daystar University roundabout near City Mortuary. A motorcycle pulled alongside his vehicle at a traffic light, and the gunman opened fire at close range.
The incident caused chaos along Ngong Road as the killers sped off towards the CBD without resistance. Forensic officers recovered spent cartridges at the scene. Police investigations pointed to a well-planned hit involving both a trailing car and a motorbike, but months later, no mastermind has been charged in court.
Were’s assassination, like Mbobu’s, highlighted how Nairobi has become a hunting ground for political and legal targets. Motorcycles, once celebrated for easing traffic congestion, have now become the preferred weapon for hitmen.
The test before Faith Odhiambo
The back-to-back assassinations now place LSK President Faith Odhiambo in the spotlight. She is expected to champion justice for City Lawyer Kyalo, but questions linger whether she has the energy and political capital to confront the forces believed to be behind these killings.
Faith has endured a tough year. Her acceptance to serve on President William Ruto’s Protest Victims’ Compensation Panel, alongside Raila Odinga ally Prof Makau Mutua, was met with backlash. Critics accused her of abandoning independence and playing into the hands of state operatives. The High Court later suspended the panel’s work, further embarrassing her leadership.
Now, with Mbobu’s killing, Faith faces a defining moment. If she mobilises the legal fraternity to demand accountability, she could restore her standing and shake off the perception that she is a compromised leader. But if she hesitates or issues only tired statements, she risks losing relevance at a time when advocates are crying for protection.
Kenyans are asking whether she can withstand the political heat from the “big boys” rumoured to be behind Mbobu’s murder. These are individuals who allegedly operate above the law, shielded by connections within state security apparatus. Confronting them would require courage beyond rhetoric.
A regime under siege by insecurity
The rise of boda boda hitmen under Kenya Kwanza is no coincidence. These killings reveal a government that is either unwilling or incapable of curbing organized crime. Nairobi has become a playground for assassins, with the public growing weary of routine police pressers that lead nowhere.
Faith Odhiambo is right to warn that lawyers cannot practice in an environment of fear. Yet the responsibility goes beyond the LSK. President Ruto’s administration must demonstrate political will to dismantle the networks funding and protecting these killers. Failure to act will only confirm suspicions that elements within government are complicit.
The assassinations of Kyalu Mbobu and Ong’ondo Were show that no one is safe. Today it is lawyers and politicians; tomorrow it could be journalists, activists, or ordinary citizens who fall victim to motorcycle hit squads. The boda boda that once symbolised hustle is now a symbol of terror.
Kenya stands at a crossroads. Either the government restores order and reassures its citizens, or the culture of impunity deepens further. For Faith Odhiambo, this is the battle of her presidency. For Ruto’s regime, it is the litmus test of whether it truly values the rule of law.
