Carey Eaton, co-founder of the One Africa Media group of companies – Cheki, BrighterMonday, BuyRentKenya and StayNow in Kenya, as well as similar Internet businesses across Africa – passed away Thursday morning after he was shot in a robbery incidence in a Nairobi leafy suburb.

Carey, 41 succumbed to head injuries in hospital after the shooting happened as a gang forced their way into a house he and his colleagues were in Loresho.

In an official statement One Africa Media said Carey was one of the inspirational leaders of the technology revolution happening across the continent of Africa.

“It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the untimely death of Kenyan businessman Carey Eaton, who passed away in tragic circumstances after an armed robbery at a friend’s home in Nairobi in the early hours of this morning,” the statement said.

“He was on the boards of many companies and was well respected as a leader in the emerging online business sector where he also played a mentorship role to young technology entrepreneurs.”

Carey was previously the chief information officer of Australian job classifieds group SEEK. He returned home to Kenya in 2011 to start Cheki.com and manage to grow it into Kenya’s number one car portal and the larger group of companies into Africa’s largest classified group.