Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has cautioned against rushing investigations into the murder of prominent city lawyer Kyalo Mbobu, saying detectives need time and space to get to the bottom of the case.
Speaking during Citizen TV’s Monday Report programme, Kanja said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had already formed a specialised team to handle the probe but insisted the process must be thorough.
“Investigation is a process. The DCI has set up a very strong team with all the necessary capabilities to ensure the murder is unravelled,” Kanja explained.
Pressed to indicate how long Kenyans should wait for answers, the police boss declined to commit to timelines. “At this stage, I cannot give timelines. But as I have said, the DCI boss Mohamed Amin is under instructions to move with speed, settle the issue, and bring to book those behind this heinous crime,” he said.
Kanja added that accountability would come once suspects are identified and arrested. “Once we lay our hands on the criminals, we can then be able to give timelines,” he said.
Mbobu, a respected lawyer and former chair of the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal, was shot dead last Tuesday evening in a drive-by attack along Magadi Road in Nairobi’s Karen area. Gunmen riding on a motorbike sprayed his car with eight bullets before fleeing.
So far, no arrests have been made. Three people who were initially detained as persons of interest were released on Saturday night.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has partly blamed the delay in tracing the killers on the lack of CCTV coverage along Magadi Road, though he noted investigators have picked up useful leads from people close to the lawyer.
Meanwhile, IG Kanja has until Thursday to forward a report on the progress of the case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
In a statement, DPP Renson Ingonga welcomed the DCI’s commitment to justice but urged an expedited probe. “The DPP has called for an expedited investigation to ensure all critical evidence is identified, collected, and preserved in strict accordance with the law,” his office said.
Mbobu’s killing has added to growing fears over a pattern of gunmen on motorbikes targeting victims in Nairobi.
On April 30, Kasipul MP Charles Were was shot dead in a similar style at the City Mortuary roundabout on Ngong Road attackers opened fire at close range before speeding off on a motorcycle.