Journalist Arshad Sharif shot dead by police in case of mistaken identity: Kenyan media

Senior Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was shot dead Sunday night along the Nairobi-Magadi highway in what Kenyan police termed as mistaken identity, reported Kenyan newspaper The Star.

Arshad Sharif was shot in the head and killed by police after he and his driver allegedly breached a roadblock that had been set up to check on motor vehicles using the route.

They were driving from Magadi town to Nairobi when they were flagged down at a roadblock being manned by a group of police officers, police said. Police headquarters said Independent Policing Oversight Authority will take over the case.

A senior police officer confirmed the shooting and added a comprehensive statement will be released later.

“We had an incident of shooting which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity involving a journalist. We will release more information later,” the officer said.

According to police, at the roadblock, there was a call for police to intercept a car similar to the one they were driving following a carjacking incident in Pangani area, Nairobi where a child was taken hostage.

And a few minutes later, Sharif’s car emerged at the roadblock and they were stopped and asked to identify themselves. They allegedly failed to stop and drove past the roadblock.

This prompted a brief chase and shooting that left Sharif dead. Their car rolled and his driver was injured and taken to hospital.

He later told police he and his slain colleague were developers and were headed for a site in Magadi.