Journalists have been barred from covering the requiem mass of slain lawyer Kyalo Mbobu thickening the veil of mystery surrounding his death.

Since the nature of his death has drawn public interests, the memorial service was expected to be a solemn public farewell at St John Catholic Church in Karen, celebrating the lawyer who once served Kenyans as chairman of Political Parties Disputes Tribunal. 

However, the mass turned into a tightly controlled affair as stewards stationed around church turned away members of the press, citing ‘family instructions’. 

According to the stewards, the family did not want any media coverage and that they wanted to be accorded privacy in mourning their kin. 

“There’s no media coverage. The family has declined. The directions we have been given is that the mass will be a private affair,” one of the stewards told The Standard reporters who were preparing to set up just moments before the mass begun. 

More surprising, even the State House press team attached to the First Lady, Rachel Ruto, were barred from rolling their cameras. 

“We are not going to stream. We have even brought out our equipment out of the car. It is instructions from the family,” a member of Rachel Ruto’s team told The Standard. 

Other journalists and media teams of leaders including that of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who attended the event, left after attempts to convince protocols proved futile. 

Mbobu was gunned down on the evening of September 9, along Magadi Road, Nairobi, by assailants on a motorbike who fired at his head before speeding off. 

An autopsy conducted on his body revealed that he was shot eight times in the attack, and summed to the fatal injuries to the neck and spine led to excessive internal bleeding. 

Two bullets were recovered from his body, one of them lodged in his spine.

Questions have, however, emerged on the motive behind the gruesome murder even as the police launched investigations to unravel the mystery. 

So far, investigators have narrowed down to two possible theories behind the killing of the Nairobi lawyer; either over a deal gone sour or in connection with his legal work. 

Tuesday’s events only added to the intrigue as questions now mount on what the family could be concealing regarding the murder in guise of “privacy” in mourning. 

The lawyer will be buried tomorrow, Wednesday September 17, at his home in Mua, Machakos County.