Jacob Juma Would Give Sh10,000 If You Called Him This Nickname
A close look at the personal life of slain businessman Jacob Juma as told by his relatives and close friends, reveals the story of a rich man who apparently exploited the trappings of his vast wealth.
The self-made billionaire lived a luxurious life and dispensed cash with such largesse that those close to him almost adored him. They even nicknamed him ‘Lord Juma’ — a second name that the late businessman greatly valued.
It is said that those who called him by his treasured nickname — Lord Juma — would reportedly be given Sh10,000.
Juma’s family members disclosed that the deceased used to travel with millions of shillings in his car boot whenever he visited his upcountry home.
A Mr Humphrey Oduor who comes from his village recalls how Juma would dish out cash to men and women of his motherland.
“He would give cash handouts to almost the entire village, giving men Sh500 each and women Sh1,000,” said Oduor.
It is also reported that the late businessman, on numerous occasions, gave offerings of more than Sh1 Million at local churches.
In Nairobi, Juma lived in the posh Karen Estate, in a mansion sitting on a 5.5-acre piece of land and has five all-ensuite bedrooms served with most fittings reportedly bought from Italy, Canada and Australia.
According to one of Juma’s closest friends and village mate Mr Peter Mukhongo, the late businessman named his homestead ‘Mungore Olukuba Palace’.
“Mungore is the name of his village where he grew up while olukuba, among his clan, was a place where elders built a house that was surrounded by trees and a watertight fence, where they would discuss communal issues in private,” Mr Mukhongo told the Nation.
Mr Juma is said to have been a man who was wary of his security and to ensure he left nothing to chance, he had reportedly built an Administration Police post adjacent to his gate and had at least four guards protecting his home all day and night.
At his Karen home, Juma was being served by at least 10 servants who took care of the garden that had dozens of exotic flowers and trees.
One of his longtime servants Mr Aggrey Opanga, disclosed that the quickest way to annoy his boss was to fail to take care of his flowers and trees.
Despite having many workers, the controversial businessman’s laundry was reportedly preserved for the Serena Hotel — the only facility Juma believed was capable of meeting his high standards of cleanliness.
In addition, he has been described as a ‘germ-phobic, neat freak who changed his carpets twice a day’.
Owing to the flamboyant life Juma led, his family would grant him a grand send off, including burying him in an expensive imported Italian suit.
The late businessman will be laid to rest at Mungore village, Khasoko area of Bumula Constituency on Saturday, May 14.
