Court Deems 2022 Police Shooting of Arshad Sharif in Kajiado County ‘Arbitrary and Unconstitutional’
Kenya’s High Court has mandated the government to compensate the family of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif with 10 million Kenyan Shillings (Rs21.7 million). The court ruled that the police shooting in Kajiado County in 2022 was “arbitrary and unconstitutional.”
Justice Stella Mutuku of the Kenyan court declared that Sharif’s rights to life, equality before the law, and dignity were violated during the incident on October 23, 2022. According to the news agency NTV, Sharif had fled Pakistan in July 2022 after allegations of criticizing the military. He was fatally shot by Kenyan police in the Tinga area of Kajiado County, with police attributing the shooting to a case of “mistaken identity.”
The court has suspended the monetary award for 30 days to allow for a potential government appeal. “Given the analysis above, I find that the respondents, through their actions, violated the rights of the petitioners,” stated Justice Mutuku.
Sharif’s widow, Javeria Siddique, filed a lawsuit against several government officials, accusing them of delaying the investigation into Sharif’s shooting and failing to provide updates to the family. The court also dismissed police claims that firing on Sharif’s vehicle was based on mistaken identity, with police stating, “We were considering this car as a vehicle of abductors.”
Additionally, the court ordered a thorough investigation into the conspiracy behind Sharif’s murder and called for strict disciplinary action against police and security agencies involved.
One Response