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Mistaken Identity: Police explain how slain Pakistan journalist lost his life

By Nyaboga Kiage October 26th, 2022 2 min read

A motor vehicle that was allegedly stolen from Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) and is now linked to the death of Mr. Arshad Sharif was found on Sunday, October 23, 2022, Nairobi News has learned.

The missing car; a Mercedes ML350, of registration number KDJ 700F was found in Kiserian on the same day.

Also read: Last people to see slain Pakistan journalist, Arshad Sharif, questioned 

Mr Sharif was shot dead in cold blood by officers attached to the General Service Unit (GSU) in Magadi, Kajiado County.

“It started when officers from DCI Starehe circulated a report of theft of a motor vehicle/abduction vide OB 70/23/10/2022 that one Douglas Wainaina parked his motor vehicle registration number KDJ 700F outside an electrical shop and left his son namely Dancan Kamau inside the said motor vehicle,” reads the statement in part.

Police say that Mr. Kamau was found at Olusiritia Anglican Church of Kenya church within Kiserian, Kajiado County.

A detective attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) told Nairobi News that it was the son who drove the car to Kiserian and he had confessed this to his mother.

Arshad Sharif
Slain journalist Arshad Sharif

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On Sunday, police officers in a statement said that Mr. Sharif had been shot in a case of mistaken identity and that they regretted the incident.

Interestingly, the motor vehicle that Mr. Sharif was being driven in by his brother Mr. Khurram Ahmed was a Land Cruiser V8 of registration number KDG 200M.

This raises the question of why the officers who had barricaded the road using stones decided to start shooting continuously at the motor vehicle in which Mr. Sharif was being driven amidst reports that the car was stopped but they defied the orders.

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Another question that arises is why did the officers decide to use extra force by shooting at the car whose number plate was completely different from what had been sent by sleuths attached to Pangani Police Station.

Immediately after the shooting incident, it was reported to Magadi Police Station under OB number 14/23/10/2022 at 10 pm that along Kuenia farm/ Kamukuru marram a shooting incident involving GSU officers had occurred and Mr. Sharif was fatally shot.

Mr. Sharif visited Ammodump Kwenia within Kajiado County and spent the day there alongside Mr. Ahmed. The joint is popular amongst Pakistan and Indian nationals.

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