Kenyan businessman Jacob Juma shot dead in Nairobi

• 6 May 2016
 
• From the sectionAfrica

Image copyrightJacob Juma/Tiwtter

Image captionJacob Juma was in his forties and was a critic of the government

A controversial and wealthy businessman has been shot dead in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Jacob Juma was driving home from a bar to his home in an upmarket suburb on Thursday night when unknown gunmen attacked his car.

He had been involved in several high-profile legal cases against the government over failed business deals.

Mr Juma had warned several months ago that there was a plot to kill him because of his outspoken views.

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"We don't know the motive but this seems to be a pure murder," Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome is quoted by Kenya's Standard newspaper as saying.

Image copyrightDaily Nation

Image captionPolice said about at least 10 bullets were fired at Jacob Juma's Mercedes car

The gunmen escaped on motorbikes after firing 10 shots at the vehicle.

Police say nothing was stolen from Mr Juma, who had mining and real estate interests, as two of his mobile phones were found in his car along with some cash.

The BBC's Odhiambo Joseph in Nairobi says Mr Juma successfully sued a state corporation for about $5m (£3.4m) in compensation for a breach of contract to supply 40,000 tonnes of maize in 2004.

He also took the government to court in 2015 for revoking his company's mining licence, saying this was because he had refused to pay an $800,000 bribe.

The High Court dismissed the case and Mr Juma was appealing.

The businessman had also been critical of the governing Jubilee Coalition about corruption and was supportive of opposition leader Raila Odinga, our reporter says.

He was especially outspoken about the alleged disappearance of government money raised from the sale of Eurobonds in 2014.

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