The Kenyan government has been ordered to pay KShs. 10 million to the family of Pakistani Television journalist, Arshad Sharif, as compensation for his mysterious murder in 2022.
High Court Judge Stella Mutuku, ruled on 08 June 2024, that Sharif’s murder was unconstitutional and violated his rights to life and protection. Sharif, a staunch supporter of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was shot in the head in Kajiado County by Kenyan police in October 2022. He had fled Pakistan in August 2022 after multiple sedition cases were filed against him in various cities.
Led by his widow, Javeria Siddique, Sharif’s family sued the government, claiming that he had the right to be protected and was unjustly killed.
Kenyan police officials claimed it was a case of mistaken identity, stating that police, who were hunting car thieves, opened fire at Sharif’s vehicle when it did not stop at a roadblock. However, after conducting interviews, examining the crime scene, and analyzing Sharif’s phones and computers, a Pakistan fact-finding team found contradictions in the Kenyan authorities’ version and believed it was a pre-planned murder.
The state has asked the court to suspend the ruling for at least 30 days to allow them to file an appeal, which the court granted.