Nairobi News

ChillaxMust ReadWhat's Hot

Question marks over Kenya Police account on Pakistani journalist’s death

By Wangu Kanuri October 25th, 2022 2 min read

The death of Arshad Sharif, a Pakistani journalist killed in Magadi by the Kenya Police, has turned international attention towards Nairobi with some aspects of how he met his death considered peculiar.

President William Ruto has promised to fast-track investigations.

Here are some of the occurrences that do not add up.

1. Mistaken identity – The National Police Service (NPS) said in a statement that officers manning a roadblock on Kwenia farm/Kamukuru murram road within Magadi mistook Sharif and his brother namely Khurram Ahmed for kidnappers that were trafficking a child from Starehe in Nairobi. The pearl white Toyota Landcruiser is reportedly registered to Mr Ahmed and matched the description of another vehicle believed to have been ferrying a kidnapped child, said police. The vehicle was reportedly shot at after refusing to stop at a roadblock. But why shoot several bullets at a car without the slightest provocation?

2. Shooting  – Police concede they believed the vehicle they shot at more than 10 times was ferrying a minor. Mr Bruno Shioso, the Police spokesperson, failed to comment on why officers shot so many times in a vehicle that had a supposedly kidnapped minor.

3. Why did police officers aim at Mr Sharif rather than the vehicle’s tyres? – Ahmed was driving his brother who was seated on the co-driver seat when the police officers opened fire. The vehicle was driven for 25 kilometers without the front right tyre, which a gunshot had deflated. Mr Ahmed then called Mr Naqar Ahmed, a Pakistani who runs Kwenia and who is also involved in farming at Tinga. “He advised them to pass through his place and on arrival at the main gate, Mr Ahmed found out that his brother had already died with a gunshot wound on the head that had penetrated from the back of his head and exited on the front side.”

4. What caused the mistaken identity yet in the area where Mr Sharif was killed, yet he was a frequent customer at a nearby joint? According to the Nation Sharif was having a good time at the Ammodump Kwenia, a popular joint, frequented by military officers who patronize the range. Mr Sharif was a frequent customer in the joint near where he was shot at.

Also read: ‘Deal with your jealousy’- Willis Raburu’s wife Ivy Namu tells haters

Rishi Sunak UK’s next PM with Kenyan roots is worth Sh90 billion