By Abdimalik Hajir - Reporter
April 23, 2026 - Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has on Thursday appealed for calm, saying the probe into the fatal shooting involving a police officer is at an advanced stage.
The oversight body said in a statement that patience from the public is crucial for the smooth progress of ongoing investigations into the incident.
The agency said its investigators have undertaken several actions, including attending the post-mortem examination, recording witness statements, obtaining police documents, and securing critical exhibits.
IPOA also said it has documented the crime scene and recorded both police and damaged civilian motor vehicles.
The Authority said it initiated investigations after receiving official notification of the incident from the National Police Service, as required by law.
“Preliminary findings indicate that at approximately 2:20 a.m. on the material day, the deceased responded to a distress call from a friend who had been arrested, during which his vehicle was damaged by officers from the Balambala Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI),” read the statement.
IPOA noted that when the deceased attempted to intervene, he suffered a fatal gunshot injury, adding that a post-mortem examination established the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the head.
While Garissa town remained tense over protests, local political leaders on Thursday visited IPOA offices in Nairobi demanding updates on the progress of the probe.
The politicians alleged a possible cover-up, claiming that the officer suspected to be involved had been facilitated to flee from Garissa.
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Gubernatorial aspirant Mohamed Shidiye questioned how the officer could have escaped despite being with other officers during the incident.
“We are informed that the police facilitated this person to run away. He passed through several police barriers but managed to escape,” said Shidiye.
Taxi driver Aden Mohamed Hassan was fatally shot when he went to assist his friend Abdi Mohamud, who had been detained by police in Modika. The two operated along Garissa routes. Mohamud fled the scene still in handcuffs after the shooting.
“This is not just about Aden. We recall many other cases in this region where young men have lost their lives under similar circumstances, yet no one has been held accountable. This pattern must come to an end,” Shidiye said.
Local leaders have demanded immediate identification of the officer involved, as well as the production of firearms used in the shooting and the duty roster for that day.
Dadaab parliamentary aspirant Ahmed Muhumed Abdi claimed tensions between the police and the Garissa community would persist until accountability is achieved.
“We say enough is enough. To save the image of the police, that officer must be arrested and arraigned in court as fast as possible,” he said.