Garissa is once again mourning a young life lost under circumstances that raise more questions than answers. The death of 25-year-old taxi driver Sheikh Ahmed Omar is not an isolated tragedy — it is part of a troubling pattern that continues to erode public trust in law enforcement, particularly in northern Kenya.
Police say Sheikh Ahmed died in a road accident while fleeing a roadblock. Community members and leaders say otherwise. And when a civilian dies at the hands of, or during an encounter with, the police, the burden of proof must rest firmly with those carrying the gun.
Speaking at the Garissa mortuary after viewing the body, Garissa Township MP Major (Rtd) Dekow Mohamed captured the anger and frustration of many residents when he said:
“As the leaders from this county, we are saddened by the excesses of the police as they are killing and maiming our people. Yesterday we were here, there was another incident in Demajale and today, the same thing has happened.”
These words were not spoken in isolation. They reflect years of unresolved grievances, repeated incidents, and a deep sense that accountability remains elusive whenever security operations go wrong.
Major (Rtd) Mohamed further stated:
“We suspect that the police units were involved because after the incident, all the factors that surround this occurrence do not add up. This young man just lost his life like that. We are past that stage in our country.”
Indeed, Kenya claims to be a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law. In such a country, suspicion of wrongdoing — whether contraband or evasion of a roadblock — is not a licence to kill.
The MP went on to remind the nation of the historical wounds carried by communities in the region, saying:
“In our community, we have come from being killed, maimed, butchered, tortured and raped and in the 21st century, we are not going to allow this to continue.”
That statement should shame the state into action. It is an indictment not just of individual officers, but of a system that has repeatedly failed to learn from its past.
Police insist that Sheikh Ahmed died from injuries sustained in an accident while fleeing. Yet eyewitness accounts reportedly contradict this narrative. The rush to label the death a traffic incident before a postmortem only deepens public suspicion. If the police version is accurate, then transparency should pose no threat.
Major (Rtd) Mohamed made it clear that this case will not be quietly buried:
“We want justice for the family and the people of Garissa County. Let no one think that they will get away with this. We will not entertain these kinds of officers who are using excessive force to enforce the law.”
This is not a call for chaos or hostility toward law enforcement. It is a call for professionalism, restraint, and respect for human life. Security officers are entrusted with authority precisely because they are expected to exercise it responsibly.
The involvement of IPOA and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations must not be symbolic. This case demands a thorough, independent, and public investigation — one that follows evidence, not convenience.
Sheikh Ahmed Omar was not a statistic. He was a young Kenyan trying to earn a living. His life mattered, and his death must matter too.
If justice is denied yet again, the message sent to communities in Garissa will be loud and clear: some lives are negotiable. That is a dangerous message for any nation to send — and one Kenya cannot afford.
