KILLED

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 7 - A prominent city businessman was executed as he left his bar in Nairobi’s Karen estate on Thursday night.

Simon Ngatunyi Chabi, who is the proprietor of Southern Comfort Bar and Restaurant was felled by a lone gunman who attacked him outside his bar at about midnight, according to police and witnesses.

A guard at the restaurant Joseph Tereu told Capital News that his boss was attacked as he answered a call of nature near the parking lot, on the way to his four wheel drive vehicle which was parked outside the restaurant.

“He came out and greeted me, I knew he was going home because that is his usual time of leaving the bar; but he did not head straight to his vehicle. He went to answer a call of nature and that is when he was attacked,” Mr Tereu said.

“I just saw a man emerge from the parking lot and he headed straight to where my boss was standing, I thought he was walking towards the bar, but when he approached he whipped out a pistol and shot at my boss. I immediately ran away to the bar shouting for help,” he narrated. “He shot at my boss three times and he died on the spot.”

Mr Tereu said when he rushed to the bar shouting, he found patrons lying down after hearing gunshots while others were running towards the washrooms to hide, including some police officers who were having a drink there.

“I told them to come out and pursue the man because after shooting at my boss he casually walked towards the gate. When we all came out, even the police officers who were in the bar were reluctant to pursue the killer. They said it was dangerous following an armed man, and they telephoned the police station for re-enforcement,” the guard said.

Southern Comfort Bar and Restaurant where the man was attacked is located less than 200 meters from Hardy Police station.

Lang’ata Divisional Police Chief Joseph Ng’ang’a told Capital News they had not arrested any suspect over the incident but had recorded statements from various people including the guard who witnessed the incident.

“We are pursuing the matter. It is an outright case of execution but we do not want to make conclusions at this moment,” Mr Ng’ang’a said.

About two years ago, the businessman escaped an assassination when unknown people planted a detonation device in his car at the parking lot of the bar where he was killed on Thursday night.