Kenya’s High Court has ruled that the 2022 police shooting of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kajiado County was “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to pay his family 10 million Kenyan Shillings (Rs21.7 million).
Justice Stella Mutuku declared that Sharif’s rights were violated during the incident on October 23, 2022. Sharif, who fled Pakistan in July 2022 after criticizing the military, was shot by Kenyan police in Tinga, Kajiado County, in what police initially called a “mistaken identity” case.
The court suspended the compensation for 30 days to allow for a possible government appeal. Justice Mutuku emphasized that the actions of the respondents violated the petitioners’ rights. Sharif’s widow, Javeria Siddique, had sued government officials for delaying the investigation and not updating the family.
The court also dismissed police claims of mistaken identity and ordered a full investigation into the conspiracy behind Sharif’s murder, calling for strict disciplinary action against the involved police and security agencies.