Police inspector on the run arrested in Eldoret over lawyer Mbobu, Dr Mutiso murders

By  Hilary Kimuyu

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

Police have arrested Inspector Kenneth Kipkemboi Sang, who had been on the run over the murders of Nairobi lawyer Kyalo Mbobu and clinical psychologist Dr Victoria Mutiso.

Sang was arrested in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on Saturday, October 24, following an intelligence-led operation by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

According to the DCI, detectives intercepted the officer along Uganda Road in Eldoret’s Central Business District while he was driving a silver Toyota Fielder, registration number KCM 508L.

The agency said the officer was reportedly attempting to sell the vehicle to raise money for his daily upkeep.

“Inspector Kenneth Kipkemboi Sang, who had been on the run, was arrested by a team of detectives from DCI Headquarters following actionable intelligence that led them to Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County,” the DCI said in a statement.

He was taken to Eldoret Police Station for processing as detectives pursued further leads in the two murder investigations.

The arrest brings into custody a suspect whom investigators have previously linked to the alleged coordination of the two killings, which occurred about 10 months apart.

The DCI said investigators were continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the murders and determine whether other people were involved.

“No rank, status or affiliation places anyone above the law,” the agency said.

Investigators suspect the two killings may be connected to a long-running property dispute involving Dr Mutiso’s husband, Professor David Musyimi Ndetei, and his former wife, Rose Mbithe Mulwa.

Detectives have alleged that the dispute provided the motive for the attacks, with several suspects accused of playing different roles in planning, financing or executing the killings.

Sang has been linked by investigators to the alleged coordination of the operations. However, the allegations against him remain subject to the legal process, and his arrest does not establish guilt.

The investigations have also drawn scrutiny because of the alleged involvement of serving police officers.

The late Mbobu, a prominent lawyer, university lecturer and former chairperson of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, was shot dead on September 9, 2025, while driving home along Magadi Road in Nairobi.

He was attacked by a gunman riding a motorcycle in what investigators described as a targeted shooting.

The killing remained unresolved for months as detectives pursued leads to identify the gunman and establish who may have planned or financed the attack.

In September 2026, the DCI announced a breakthrough after arresting Police Constable Julius Kipkoech Cheruiyot, whom investigators suspect of being the gunman who killed the lawyer.

Detectives also recovered a Ceska pistol that had been issued to the officer. According to the DCI, ballistic examination linked the firearm to Mbobu’s killing.

Investigators subsequently identified Sang as a suspect allegedly involved in coordinating the operation.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later approved murder charges against five suspects in connection with Mbobu’s death: Mulwa, her children Chris Mulwa and Angela Mulwa, and police constables Cheruiyot and Kennedy Kipkemei Borbor.

The suspects were expected to take their pleas on October 27, 2026, subject to the court receiving the required mental assessment reports for the two police officers.

Dr Mutiso, a clinical psychologist and mental health researcher, was shot dead on July 29, 2026, while travelling in a vehicle in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area.

The attackers reportedly intercepted the vehicle in which she was travelling before a gunman opened fire.

Investigators subsequently arrested several suspects and pursued leads pointing to possible links between her killing and Mr Mbobu’s murder.

The DCI said investigations into Dr Mutiso’s death had identified alleged roles played by different suspects, including people believed to have coordinated the attack, provided logistical support or facilitated the movement of those involved.

Police have also investigated whether the two cases were connected through the property dispute involving Ndetei and Mulwa.

The theory has become a central line of inquiry, although the prosecution must establish the alleged motive and the individual responsibility of each accused person through evidence presented in court.

Before his arrest, Sang had remained at large as detectives searched for him in several locations.

In September, investigators travelled to Busia after receiving intelligence about his possible whereabouts, as detectives suspected he might have crossed into Tanzania, prompting them to extend the search.

The officer’s alleged movements and communication with people under investigation formed part of the efforts to trace him.

His arrest in Eldoret marks a significant development in the manhunt, although investigators are still required to establish the full circumstances of the two killings.

Detectives are expected to question him over the alleged coordination of the attacks and his possible links to other suspects.

The investigations also raise questions about the alleged use of serving police officers in the planning and execution of targeted killings.

The two cases remain subject to court proceedings, and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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