Jacob Juma’s last moments offer no clue of his killers

The last moments of city billionaire Jacob Juma, who was gunned down on Thursday night, offer no clues to who could have killed him nor betray any expectations of something untoward on his side.

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 at around 9.30pm Thursday, as he often does. For Juma was controversial and so did he die.



His bullet-riddled body was found in his Mercedes Benz saloon car which still had its engine running and the driver’s door open. From the layout of the crime scene near the Southern by-pass turn-off on Ngong Road, the Standard reports, it appears 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 found his Identity Card, Ksh6,500, five euros and two mobile phones.

Tracing his last steps

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 and was later transferred to Lee Funeral Home.

“We don’t know the motive, but this seems to be a murder,” Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said.

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 told Standard Juma often stayed at one of his apartments in Westlands and left much later for his Karen home when traffic eased.

Wife had expressed fears

Mr Ahmednassir said his wife had met Miriam at a school where they had dropped children in the morning. Miriam then complained to her that Juma had not returned home the previous night, saying this was unusual.

Mr Ahmednassir then received a phone call from his wife expressing Miriam’s worries and made inquiries and learnt that the police had taken a body of man identified as Juma to the Nairobi City Mortuary.

Mr Juma was known for courting controversy on various issues on his Twitter handle and Facebook page by commenting 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.

Opposition leaders led by Raila Odinga, were among scores of Kenyans who condemned his killing and called for thorough police investigations.

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