Facebook rants about corruption and legal battles with prominent Kenyans marked the life of controversial businessman Jacob Juma, who was killed by gunmen in a night shooting.
The slaying of the 45-year-old wheeler-dealer near a Nairobi forest turned attention on a social media post in which he had talked of a plot to kill him and vowed not to relent in his fight against those he considered corrupt.
Mr Juma, who featured in multi-million shilling court cases, and was suspected of high level corruption, was gunned down by killers on motorcycles as he drove home on Thursday night at around 9.30pm. And yesterday leaders of the Opposition CORD led by Raila Odinga, were among scores of Kenyans who condemned his killing and called for thorough police investigations. Social media users immediately focused on Juma’s Facebook remarks, asking whether he predicted his own death. The gunmen struck as Juma drove past Lenana School along Nairobi’s Ngong Road.
His bullet-riddled body was found in a Mercedes Benz saloon car which still had its engine running and the driver’s door flung open. From the layout of the crime scene near the Southern By-pass turn-off on Ngong Road, it would appear that his killers either collected all spent cartridges or used cartridge-holding weapons to eliminate any chance of tracing origins of the firearms.
Police say his car’s open door could be an indication that the killers deliberately moved closer to establish that they had killed Juma or to retrieve the spent cartridges.
Police at the scene said they found his Identity Card, Sh6,500, five Euros and two mobile phones.
The Standard on Saturday learnt that Juma left the Central Business District at 4pm and arrived at his apartment on Brookside Drive in Westlands at about 6pm on Thursday. Later, he left Westlands for Karen at about 8.30pm, driving through James Gichuru Road in Kilimani before joining Ngong Road. He met his death near Lenana School when gunmen sprayed his car with bullets at about 9.30pm. Juma’s body was removed from the crime scene at about 11pm and taken to the Nairobi City Mortuary where it was later transferred to Lee Funeral Home.
Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said the businessman was driving from Westlands at around 9.30pm to his Karen home when he was shot by gunmen who escaped on a motorcycle. “We don’t know the motive, but this seems to be a murder,” said Koome.
Juma’s wife Miriam did not know about her husband’s death until Friday morning, according to lawyer Ahmednassir Abdulahi who has in the past been associated with the businessman.
The lawyer said Juma often stayed at one of his apartments in Westlands and left much later for his Karen home when traffic eased.
Yesterday, Ahmednassir said his wife had met Miriam at a school where they had dropped children in the morning. Miriam then complained that Juma had not returned home the previous night, saying this was unusual.
Ahmednassir then received a phone call from his wife expressing Miriam’s worries and made inquiries. The lawyer learnt that the police had taken a body of man identified as Juma to the Nairobi City Mortuary.
Raila, who visited Lee Funeral Home to condole with Juma’s family, called for a thorough and speedy investigation into the killing. “Those behind the heinous act must be brought to book. Nobody is allowed to take the life of another . . . police must get to the bottom of Juma’s murder,” he said.
Juma was known for courting controversy on various issues on his Twitter handle and Facebook page when he made comments on topical issues. He was the director and proprietor of Cortec Mining Kenya Ltd with a profile on his Twitter account showing the company was affiliated to Cortec SA, Cortec UK, Stirling UK, Pacific Wildcat Resources Corp Canada, Rio Tinto Australia and First Western UK. On March 25 he tweeted: “Freedom is expensive? Death is a must for everybody. I will not fear death and stay in comfort zone as majority of Kenyans suffer anymore.”
Juma’s killing was among the trending topics on Twitter yesterday, with most commentators urging authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
Dr Ekuru Aukot tweeted: “Whoever killed Jacob Juma will never be happy. It’s a curse to take the sacred life of another human being.”
Human Rights activist Al Amin Kimathi said: “Jacob Juma had become the biggest anti-corruption agency in the country.”
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