A businessman with interests in land and petrol stations, who was murdered in Ruiru, was allegedly a poaching kingpin with local and international networks.
Muchina Kariuki was on Thursday evening by people in a Probox while driving out of Ruiru town towards the bypass where he lives, witnesses said.
The 50 year-old father of three owned petrol stations in Kerugoya and Sagana, and had businesses in Kirinyaga and Nyeri town where he also operated a timber yard.
His family members told The Star he was not a land broker as earlier reported but owned several parcels of land.
Documents found in his car following his murder at Waki stage were of property he owned with friends.
The Standard reported in a that Kariuki, who hails from Central, operated a well-organised cartel with roots in and outside Kenya.
His cartel is said to include men who kill rhinos and elephants and obtain trophies which they sell and transport to foreigners.
It is believed Karikuki had connections in countries including Uganda and Tanzania, and assistants in parts of Kenya including Nyeri, Nanyuki town and Loitoktok in Narok.
Kariuki, who was linked to various ivory smuggling suspects, is also believed to have sourced guns for carrying out the crime in Nanyuki town.
He was linked to a poaching incident in the Rift valley in 2013, when Kenya Wildlife Service following persistent cases of poaching.
Most of those affected were from Tsavo National Park where more than 100 elephants were killed.
The 13 officers, including a senior warden, company and platoon commanders and several rangers, were accused of colluding with poachers to kill elephants and rhinos for trophies.
