IPOA updates on probe into Garissa roadblock shooting incident
By Cynthia Lodite, April 23, 2026The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has issued an update on the investigations of a police officer accused of shooting a civilian at a roadblock in Garissa.
In a statement on the IPOA’s official X account on Thursday, April 23, 2026, IPOA confirmed that its rapid response team had begun investigations into the fatal shooting on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
“The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)’s Rapid Response Team yesterday commenced investigations into the fatal shooting of Mr. Adan Mohamed Hassan on 21st April 2026 near the Modika Barrier in Garissa County,” IPOA stated.
IPOA has confirmed that investigators have undertaken several actions, including attending the post-mortem examination, recording witness statements, obtaining police documents, securing critical exhibits, documenting the crime scene, and documenting both the police and the damaged civilian motor vehicles.
At the same time, IPOA has noted that it continues to appeal to the public to remain calm, emphasising that this is crucial for the smooth progress of ongoing investigations into the incident.
According to IPOA, the Authority initiated the investigations after receiving official notification of the incident from the National Police Service, as required by law. Preliminary findings indicate that at approximately 2:20 a.m. on the material day, the deceased responded to a distress call from a friend who had been arrested, during which his vehicle was damaged by officers from the Balambala Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Likewise, IPOA explained that while the deceased attempted to intervene, he suffered a fatal gunshot injury and that a post-mortem examination established the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the head.
The Officers whereabouts
Meanwhile, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had earlier confirmed that the police officer accused of shooting a civilian at a roadblock in Garissa has fled and is being pursued by security agencies.
He told Parliament on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, that the officer is on the run following the incident in which a civilian died at the Modika roadblock on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
“The report I have now, Mr Speaker, is that that particular police officer is on the run. The DCI officers within the county are chasing after him. We believe that he should be arrested any time from now,” Murkomen said.
The CS said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has taken the lead in tracking the suspect, while the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also joined the probe.