Geo news has been investigating journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder case. In their latest update, Geo has revealed that the five Kenyan police officers involved in the killing have resumed duties without any action taken against them.
A security source also told Geo that the two of the shooters have been promoted to senior ranks.
Kenya’s Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA), investigating the conduct of police officers and after Sahir’s murder, had assured authorities of giving updates on Sharif’s murder within weeks but more than nine months later, no findings have been made public.
IPOA had said in a statement that “We shall give an update on the matter once we are done with the investigations”.
The authority’s spokesperson neither provided a timeframe nor responded as to why the watchdog has taken so long and why the police officers have been absolved of any accountability.
Geo further reported that IPOA had submitted its file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) but it was returned back and gaps were asked to be filled before the prosecution began.
According to a Geo News, “Investigations into the murder of the journalist seem to have gone silent in the East African country”.
A police officer attached to the General Service Unit (GSU), Kevin Kimuyu Mutuku, was allegedly shot at the time of Sharif’s killing.
The police officer rejoined work right after he was discharged from hospital. He has claimed that was shot and wounded when bullets were fired from inside Sharif’s vehicle but the forensic investigation showed he was lying.
Geo reports that a trusted Kenyan intelligence source, who chooses to remain anonymous, said that the National Police Service (NPS) in Kenya had slackened on Sharif’s investigation because “it involved its members and the body allowed to carry out such investigations was IPOA”.
“The police cannot investigate themselves and for that matter IPOA is expected to issue their findings. However, the police also have their own file on the same matter just in case,” said the investigator who has internal details of the matter.
According to Kenya’s Human Rights Commission member Martin Mavenjina, “Unfortunately, Kenya does not have a law that gives police officers timeliness whenever they are doing an investigation. When Arshad Sharif died things looked promising that the police would take action and would find facts — until they just came to a halt and everything went silent from the Kenyan side,” he said.
Geo investigations have also found that the police has conducted a parallel investigation of Arshad Sharif’s murder case but the findings are yet to be made public.
“The police investigations are on hold for now,” said Kennedy Kirwai, the investigating officer in the case.
The case is being pursued back in Pakistan too. Sharif’s family has asked the former Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Siddiqui to take up their case.
The advocates say that Kenya is cordial with Pakistan but the Kenyan authorities have not been cooperative in the investigations.
“I have no doubt in my mind that Kenyan Police were privy to this planned murder. It is so painful for the family of Arshad Sharif that even those officials who played the role of hired assassins have been let free and brought back to their ranks. Unfortunately, due to non-cooperation and having over the two suspects of Pakistani origin, investigation of the case has badly been jeopardised. In my opinion, now is the time for the Govt of Pakistan to take up the matter with the United Nations (UN),” said Siddiqui.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar is set to visit Kenya next month at the invitation of Kenyan President Dr William Samoei Ruto. He will be accompanied by Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and other cabinet members and advisors.
