By Abdimalik Hajir - Reporter
22 December 2025 - Leaders in Garissa on Monday demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of police officers who were allegedly involved in the killing of a taxi driver along Garissa-Dadaab Road over the weekend.
Addressing journalists at Garissa Referral Hospital mortuary where the body is being preserved awaiting post-mortem, leaders including former lawmakers, claimed the deceased, Ahmed Shiekh Omar, was shot dead at a point blank range on Saturday night.
Former Lagdera MP Mohamed Hire said he knew the deceased personally and he had no criminal record but doing genuine taxi business terming it "a sad day as his life has been cut short by officers".
Accusing the officers as trigger happy, the former MP wondered why police would kill an innocent man out to feed his family, disputing police claims that the deceased died in an accident.
“They killed him and recorded that he died in a road accident. Bullet wounds on his head are very clear, the public and witnesses have stated that he was shot at. If they had any issue with, they would have deflated the tyres to immobilise the vehicle," Hire said.
"Why would they kill him?” posed Hire in an emotional press briefing.
He called on Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin and Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to speedily investigate and explain why that young man was killed.
The leaders accused the Rapid Deployment Unit of being involved in harassment of motorists and doing illegal business within the highway, a work they said is supposed to be done by traffic officers.
Former Garissa Woman representative Shukran Gure said it's a sad day for people of Garissa when police can casually shoot and kill civilians saying that they will not rest until the suspects are arrested.
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“There is unemployment and many youths are currently doing business but killing innocent people we won’t allow that to happen, we are asking leaders to unite and find justice for this young man,” she said.
Baraki Ward Representative Hassan Geley said it is the second incident of alleged police brutality in a span of one week in the region.
"We are asking IPOA and DCI to expedite the investigation to ensure RDU stationed at Modika are arrested and arraigned in court expeditiously,” said Geley, flanked by other leaders.
Preliminary investigations noted that the deceased was shot in the head at a close range, thhough post-mortem is expected to be done on Tuesday with IPOA investigators set to visit the scene.
Human rights activists have called for immediate prosecution of officers who are perceived as the main suspects.
Garissa Human Rights Network chairperson Muktar Dahir says police have been killing and harassing innocent individuals with no accountability.
“This has been the trend where police kill innocent people. Their work is to arrest and arraign suspects, and we are calling for speedy investigation. People involved in this recent incident must be taken to court," said Mr Dahir.
