A man was shot dead in the early hours of Tuesday morning following a violent confrontation between police officers and armed suspects in Modika area along the Modika–Dadaab road in Garissa County.
According to police the incident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. when officers on patrol intercepted a Toyota Probox suspected to be ferrying uncustomised goods.
The driver of the vehicle was arrested and was being interrogated when the situation escalated.
Garissa police commander John Nzioka said the incident is under probe.
He said they had invited the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to investigate the matter.
“We will give IPOA all the support they need to investigate this matter,” he said.
This followed a protest in the area by locals who demanded justice for the shooting.
The locals said the victim was innocent and demanded action to ensure accountability.
Police said after a driver was stopped, a second Toyota Probox carrying about nine occupants approached the scene.
The group, reportedly armed with a rifle and machetes, attacked the officers, prompting them to fire warning shots in the air as they withdrew from the scene.
A follow-up visit by senior officers and crime scene investigators confirmed that one man, identified as Adan Mohamed Hassan, aged approximately 32, had sustained a gunshot wound to the head and died at the scene.
The body was moved to Garissa County Referral Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The news spread prompting the protests.
Meanwhile, police in Marsabit County launched investigations into the fatal shooting of a 35-year-old man during a robbery incident at Merille market in Laisamis Sub-county.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 4:00 a.m. on April 21, 2026.
The deceased, identified as Elius Iribae, had travelled from Nairobi in the company of another individual to purchase goats at the market.
Police said the pair had just alighted from a lorry at Merille market when a gunman armed with a rifle shot Iribae in the back. He collapsed and died on the spot due to excessive bleeding.
The attacker reportedly stole an unspecified amount of money during the incident. However, officers later recovered Sh298,300 in cash believed to be linked to the robbery, as well as a Tecno smartphone.
The body of the deceased was moved to Laisamis Sub-County Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The scene was visited by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Marsabit South, officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) based in Merille, and personnel from Merille Police Post.
Authorities are pursuing the armed suspect as investigations into the killing continue.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
