The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has arrested a police officer suspected of being the gunman who killed prominent lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu in Nairobi, nearly one year after the fatal shooting.
Police Constable Julius Cheruiyot was arrested after detectives investigating the September 2025 murder linked him to a firearm believed to have been used in the killing.
The DCI said ballistic examination of a Ceska pistol issued to Cheruiyot established that the firearm was used in the shooting that claimed Mbobu's life. The finding gives investigators a key forensic link as they build the case against the officer.
Mbobu was shot dead on September 9, 2025, while driving home from work along Magadi Road in Nairobi. The murder immediately raised questions over whether the lawyer had been deliberately targeted.
DCI Links Police Officer to Mbobu Shooting ¶
The arrest follows nearly a year of investigations into the circumstances surrounding Mbobu's killing.
According to the DCI, detectives have now identified Cheruiyot as the officer suspected of being the gunman who fatally shot the lawyer.
The agency said investigators recovered the Ceska pistol that had been issued to the police officer and subjected it to ballistic examination.
The examination allegedly established a connection between the firearm and the weapon used during the attack.
Ballistic evidence is significant in firearm-related investigations because it can help investigators determine whether bullets or cartridge cases recovered from a crime scene were fired from a particular weapon.
In Mbobu's case, the DCI said the examination has strengthened the evidentiary trail being assembled against the suspect.
The arrest does not, however, amount to a conviction. Cheruiyot remains a suspect unless and until the prosecution presents its case in court and a court makes a determination.
The next stage of the investigation will therefore be critical as detectives prepare the evidence collected during the nearly year-long probe.
How Mbobu Was Killed ¶
The murder happened on September 9, 2025, as Mbobu drove home from work along Magadi Road.
An earlier government update presented to Parliament stated that Mbobu was accosted near Brookhouse International School by two unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle. One of the attackers was armed with a pistol.
The parliamentary record stated that traffic congestion caused by construction and diversions had slowed Mbobu's vehicle when the attackers approached him.
Mbobu was fatally shot during the attack.
Investigators subsequently processed the scene and recovered spent cartridges, while his vehicle was preserved for further examination.
The Directorate of Homicide took over the investigation two days after the incident, according to the parliamentary account of the case.
The circumstances suggested to investigators that the shooting was not a random roadside incident, with the DCI later describing it as a targeted attack.
Gun Evidence Becomes Major Breakthrough ¶
The recovery and forensic examination of the Ceska pistol has now emerged as the most significant development publicly disclosed by investigators.
The DCI said the firearm had been issued to Cheruiyot and that ballistic testing linked it to the shooting.
This creates a direct evidentiary trail between a police-issued firearm, the officer who was issued the weapon, and the murder under investigation.
However, the firearm evidence alone does not publicly explain the full circumstances of the killing.
Investigators will still need to establish what happened before, during, and after the shooting, including the alleged role of the suspect, his movements at the time, and whether other people were involved.
The earlier parliamentary update indicated that detectives were investigating an attack involving two assailants.
That means the latest arrest may represent one part of a wider investigation rather than the end of the case.
Questions Still Surround The Murder ¶
The arrest of a serving police officer raises additional questions about how the firearm allegedly linked to the killing was accessed and used.
The DCI has not publicly disclosed the motive for the murder or explained whether investigators have identified the person or people who may have ordered or facilitated the attack.
It has also not publicly detailed how detectives arrived at Cheruiyot after almost one year of investigations.
Those details could become clearer as the suspect is processed and the case moves through the criminal justice system.
For Mbobu's family, colleagues, and the wider legal profession, the arrest represents a major development in a case that has remained unresolved since September 2025.
For investigators, the challenge now is to convert the forensic breakthrough into a complete evidentiary case that establishes what happened on Magadi Road and identifies everyone connected to the killing.
The DCI has described the ballistic finding as a significant breakthrough because it strengthens the evidence connecting the recovered firearm to the murder.
The investigation nevertheless remains active, and the allegations against Cheruiyot will ultimately have to be tested through the courts.
The arrest has therefore moved the case into a new phase, but important questions about the motive, planning, and possible involvement of other suspects remain unanswered.
