Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was killed by GSU in mistaken identity case, police say

A senior Pakistani journalist was shot dead by General Service Unit (GSU) officers in Magadi in a case of mistaken identity on Sunday night.

Arshad Mohammed Shariff was driving from Magadi to Nairobi accompanied by his brother Khurram Ahmed at around 10:00 pm when officers who claim that they had been alerted of a case of child abduction and were on a night operation shot at their car when they failed to stop at a makeshift roadblock.

“Upon scrutiny of the vehicle, it was found that it had a bullet hole on the left side of the windscreen on the side the deceased was sitting, two bullet holes on the rear left back screen, one bullet hole on the rear right door, four holes on right side of the boot and one on front right tyre that had been deflated,” police said.

Police headquarters has said Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) will conduct an investigation to establish what transpired.

Police headquarters also said preliminary investigations had established that the GSU officers had been alerted of a case from Pangani where a child had been abducted.

Officers from DCI Starehe had reported that a motor vehicle registration number KDJ 700F belonging to Douglas Wainaina had been stolen in Pangani. Kamau had reported that he parked the car outside an electrical shop and left his son, Duncan Kamau, inside the car.

Upon return, he found the vehicle missing and reported the matter to the police.

“He reported the said incident at Pangani police station. The officers located the son at Olosuritia ACK Church within Kiserian.  He was also located at Kiserian dam estate and later at Olepolos Hills,” a police brief read.

The Pangani DCI officers then alerted the in-charge of Magadi General Service Unit (GSU).

Police officers erected a roadblock along Kuenia-Kamukuru road and as the two foreigners were driving back to Nairobi they found the roadblock of stones before the Kiserian-Magadi road.

The deceased was driving in a motor vehicle registration number KDG 200M accompanied by his brother Khurram Ahmed at around 10:00 pm.

The deceased’s brother said as they passed the roadblock, he heard gunshots but he did not stop and instead continued with the journey.

Khurram then called Naqar Ahmed, also a Pakistan national who resides at Tinga, and informed him about the incident.

He advised them to pass his place and on arrival at the main gate found his brother had died, with a gunshot wound on the head which had penetrated from the back of his head and exited at the front side of his head.

It was later established that the Pakistani nationals were developers and reside in Nairobi.

source