JACOB JUMA, who was born in 1971 in Mungore, a village in Kenya’s Bungoma County, has been a tireless crusader against corruption and a close ally of many opposition politicians.
Slain businessman Jacob Juma had a vast business empire that included real estate, construction, mining, and general supplies.
The 45-year-old father of two had a well-established construction firm by the time he was in his early 30s.
His half-page obituary lists four major companies he owned with the words “among others” emphasizing possible non-public ventures he was involved in.
His business empire was perhaps behind the “controversial businessman” tag he bore until his demise. Erad Suppliers and General Contractors, a business whose search online comes attached to at least a court case or battle with a government agency, kept the fallen businessman in the limelight for a long.
Apart from a protracted court battle with the National Cereals and Produce Board that stretched from 2004 to 2013, the business had a tussle with the taxman.
In January 2013, the High Court ruled that the business had to be paid Sh521 million after a botched 40,000 tonnes of white maize supply deal. The board was making its second appeal to block the payout which had literally threatened the grain store for the entire country. The battle with the board was not the only row the firm was entangled in and won.
He was not afraid of condemning corruption; in fact, he openly talked about the widespread issue on social-media platforms. Corruption in Kenya runs through many hands, allegedly involving, among others, politicians, civil servants and businesspeople.
Some members of the country’s business community have been known to support dishonest politicians in order to protect their own business interests, and politicians frequently aim to reap big rewards from businesspeople during election campaigns
Jacob Juma Assassination
Juma had refused to be part of this bent system. As a self-made billionaire in Kenya’s business fraternity, he had rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty in government. But, unlike many of his cadre, who would deliberately ignore political misconduct to maintain good relations, Juma refused to tolerate such criminality.
He therefore quickly became an enemy of the corrupt. Jacob Juma, made several allegations regarding the Eurobond issue in Kenya. He claimed that a substantial amount of the funds from the Eurobond issuance,
Here is what he posted regarding the eurobond transactions which was meant for development projects, had been misappropriated by government officials. Juma alleged that this misappropriation involved corruption at the highest levels of the Kenyan government.
Juma was known for his outspoken criticism of government corruption and inefficiency. He used his platform to highlight what he believed to be financial misconduct and called for accountability from those involved in the handling of public funds, including the Eurobond proceeds.
It’s important to note that while Juma’s allegations gained attention and contributed to public discourse on corruption in Kenya, they were also met with skepticism and scrutiny from various quarters, including government officials and other commentators who questioned the basis and evidence behind his claims. juma seemed to be very aware that his enemies had hatched a plan to kill him and even tweeted this on Twitter
Jacob ‘had planned to flee Kenya’
Jacob Juma was planning to flee Kenya and settle abroad in the weeks leading to his murder, new evidence shows. He was also in constant communication with businessman Jimmy Wanjigi about the Eurobond saga, exchanging new information about goings-on at the National Treasury and the Central Bank, which he later found posted on social media.
Tweet 2 bank slips Interviews with a wide range of Juma’s friends and associates – some backed up by documents, SMSs, and WhatsApp records – paint a picture of a complex, multi-layered individual in the middle of many wars, who readily rushed to the aid of friends with cash handouts.
The Last Breathing Days of Jacob Juma
Jacob Juma reportedly spent most of his time working and meeting visitors at his office in an undisclosed location. On the day of his death, he had lunch with his lawyer and friends around 6:00 PM. Later in the evening, at approximately 6:45 PM, Juma received a visitor named Sherlin Kitonga, brought to him by a taxi driver as per his request.
After a 45-minute meeting, Juma and Sherlin left the office together. He dropped her off at the city center and proceeded toward his home in South B.
Despite the rainy weather and expected traffic, it remains unclear how Juma managed to reach Ngong, where his body was discovered, in just five minutes. The timeline between 8:00 and 8:45 PM, when Juma was fatally shot, is particularly murky as police have been unable to establish what transpired during this period.
When authorities arrived at the crime scene, Juma was already deceased. Investigations suggest that he was killed elsewhere before his body was moved. The perpetrators allegedly removed any incriminating documents and other potential evidence from the scene.
Documents that Jacob wanted to present to the court so that the high government officials involved in the Eurobond saga could arrested.
THE DCI officer who was in charge of conducting research on Jacob jumas deathh failed to explain why he had not interrogated Mr Ruto who was the first suspect according to what juma wrote on twitter ,whereas he had interrogated all the other suspects
Let the spirit of Jacob juma rest in eternal peace🕊️.
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