Several assassinations in Kenya linked to politics, business, and personal disputes have hit headlines since independence.
Over the years, killers have used various methods, but in recent times, gunmen on motorcycles, often referred to locally as “boda boda” riders, have become a notable feature of such attacks, especially in Nairobi.
These assassinations typically involve targeted drive-by shootings where assailants pull up in front of a victim’s vehicle or home before fleeing quickly on a motorbike.
This article reviews a list of prominent individuals who have been assassinated in Kenya by gunmen on motorcycles.
List of Assassinations in Kenya Involving Gunmen on Motorcycles
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Mbobu Kyalo
Prominent Nairobi lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu was killed in a drive-by shooting by assailants on a motorcycle on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
Mbobu was shot while driving along Magadi Road in the Karen area of Nairobi. According to police and witness accounts, he was ambushed by two men on motorcycles who opened fire on his vehicle.
The motive for the killing is not yet known, and investigations are ongoing.
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Charles Ong’ondo Were
Charles Were, a former Member of Parliament for Kasipul Constituency, was shot and killed on the evening of April 30, 2025, around 7:30 p.m.
Were was driving home in his white Toyota Crown vehicle when he stopped at a red traffic light near the City Mortuary roundabout along Ngong Road, Nairobi.
Also Read: CCTV Footage Reveals Fresh Details Before Lawyer Kyalo Mbobu Assassination
Two men on a motorcycle pulled alongside the vehicle. The pillion rider alighted and walked to the passenger side of the car, where the MP was seated, and fired multiple shots.
After firing the shots, the assailants fled the scene on the motorcycle. He was rushed to Nairobi Hospital, but was pronounced dead.
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Jacob Juma
Businessman Jacob Juma, a vocal critic of the Jubilee government, was gunned down on the night of May 5, 2016, along Lenana Road in Nairobi.
Police said he was ambushed by assailants on motorcycles as he drove home around 9:30 p.m. from his bar. Juma was driving a bulletproof Mercedes-Benz, which was later found in a ditch riddled with at least 10 bullet holes, mostly on the driver’s side.
A post-mortem revealed he was shot at close range in the chest, with the bullets exiting through his back.
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Sagar Panara
Businessman Sagar Panara was killed by two gunmen on a motorcycle on September 24, 2024, at the gate of his home in the Parklands area of Nairobi.
The 36-year-old Kenyan of Asian (Indian) descent, who was an employee or former manager at MART Networks, an ICT solutions firm, was ambushed as he arrived home on Kusi Lane at around 9 p.m. after attending a meeting at the Aga Khan Sports Club. It is believed the assailants had been trailing him.
Panara was shot in the neck, just below the right ear. Neighbors and police rushed him to Aga Khan Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
Also Read: Rider Who Carried Shooter in MP Charles Were’s Assassination Arrested
Police recovered several spent cartridges and six leaflets at the scene. The attackers, who escaped on a motorbike, left behind messages reading “Vacate Narok Land” and “One Panara Down,” pointing to a possible link with a land dispute in Narok. The family had reportedly received death threats over the land issue before the murder.
However, the family publicly denied any ongoing dispute over the land they own in Narok, claiming the leaflets may have been planted to mislead investigators.
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