Man found guilty of murder of famous football fan Isaac Juma

The late football fan Isaac Juma. [File, Standard]

Police told the court that Juma was hit several times on the head and that he later died from excessive bleeding.

"The 58-year-old and his family had just eaten at his home. At some point that night, his children who were taking their supper outside the house, reported seeing silhouettes of human beings lurking near the fence," testified the investigation officer.

The officer added: "Moments later, they heard a commotion in the sheep's pen. The sheep began bleating, prompting Juma and his 17-year-old son to dash outside to see what was happening."

But before they could establish what was happening, a group of men armed with machetes attacked them, hacking Juma to death, the court heard.

Juma's killing was linked to a land dispute with their family. Juma was said to have disagreed with his brother and sisters over land boundaries.

Neighbours said Juma brought government officials to settle a boundary dispute and his relatives were angered by this move.

He often painted his body with different colours and wrote slogans on it. He was a permanent fixture at many football matches, especially those that involved Harambee Stars and AFC Leopards.

Juma's love for football can be traced way back to 1987 when he started painting his body and appearing during football matches involving AFC Leopards or Harambee Stars which he hardly missed.

He was also a common feature during national day celebrations.

[email protected]