Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed that a 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.

“More importantly, IPOA has been invited to take the proper legal steps and is being assisted by officers from DCI,” he said.

Murkomen assured lawmakers that the person will face the law once arrested.

“As soon as the suspect is arrested, we will take him, working together with IPOA. He will be taken to court and the processes will follow,” he said.

The Interior CS described the incident as unfortunate and linked it to concerns about police conduct during enforcement operations.

“The question related to yesterday’s unfortunate incident where a police officer was actually attacked and killed a civilian in a roadblock. It is unfortunate,” he said.

Protests erupt in Garissa

His statement follows protests in Garissa on Tuesday, April 21, where residents demanded justice over the killing of the taxi driver Aden Mohamed at the Modika roadblock.

According to residents, Mohamed had gone to the scene after his two friends were arrested by police officers and called him for assistance. An argument is said to have broken out between him and an officer before he was shot at close range.

Family members and residents took to the streets after the incident, accusing police of using excessive force.

“We are very saddened that our police officers have turned into shifta and started killing Kenyans,” said Ali Hassan, uncle of the deceased. “We have always known that the police are here to protect civilians, but now we see they have turned on us.”

He said this was not an isolated case.

“This is the third killing incident by police officers in the last few months. A very young man has had his life cut short without reason,” he said.

Local leaders also joined the calls for accountability, with Garissa Woman Representative Udgoon Siyad claiming possible attempts to cover up the case due to the disappearance of the suspect officer.

However, North Eastern Deputy Regional Police Commander John Matasi dismissed claims of a cover-up. He said IPOA had already taken over the investigation.

“Our officers were on patrol in the Modika area where the young man was shot dead,” Matasi said. “His body is at the Garissa Referral Hospital mortuary as we wait for a post-mortem.”

Murkomen added that the government is pushing for stronger oversight of police conduct, including better funding for IPOA to handle such cases effectively.

He said he will personally follow up the matter with the Inspector General of Police to ensure accountability in the National Police Service.