NAIROBI, Kenya — The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested a police constable suspected of being the gunman who killed prominent lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu in Nairobi nearly a year ago.
The DCI identified the suspect as Police Constable Julius Cheruiyot, who was arrested after an extensive investigation into the September 2025 killing.
According to the agency, detectives recovered a Ceska pistol that had been issued to Cheruiyot and subjected it to ballistic examination.
The DCI said the examination established that the firearm was used in the shooting that killed Mbobu.
DCI Says Ballistics Link Gun to Mbobu Killing
The DCI described the ballistic finding as a significant forensic breakthrough in the investigation.
“Following an intensive and painstaking investigation over the past year, detectives have identified and arrested Police Constable Julius Cheruiyot, suspected of being the gunman who fatally shot the lawyer,” the agency said in a statement on Thursday, September 24.
“Ballistic examination has since confirmed that the firearm was indeed used in the shooting that claimed the life of Lawyer Mbobu,” the DCI added.
The agency said the finding strengthens the evidentiary trail being assembled by investigators.
Mbobu Shot Dead on Magadi Road
Mbobu was shot dead on September 9, 2025, while driving home from work along Magadi Road in Nairobi.
The DCI described the killing as a targeted attack.
The lawyer’s death triggered widespread concern within Kenya’s legal fraternity and calls for investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and identify those responsible.
The latest arrest comes almost one year after the killing.
DCI Links Investigation to Wider Murder Case
The DCI’s announcement comes amid investigations into other high-profile killings involving firearms and alleged targeted attacks.
The agency is expected to provide further details on whether the evidence linking Cheruiyot to Mbobu’s murder also connects the officer to the killing of Dr Victoria, another case that investigators have been examining.
Details of the alleged connection had not been fully disclosed by the DCI in its initial statement on Thursday.
The agency said the investigation remains active as detectives work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Mbobu’s death.
Police Officer Now at Centre of Investigation
Cheruiyot’s arrest marks a significant development in the case, but the allegations against him have not yet been tested in court.
The ballistic examination provides investigators with forensic evidence linking the firearm to the crime scene, while detectives will be expected to establish how the weapon was used and the circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting.
The suspect is expected to face the next stage of the criminal justice process as investigators continue building the case.
The DCI said more information would be provided as the investigation progresses.
