Protests erupt in Garissa over killing of taxi driver

Hundreds of residents in Garissa County took to the streets on Tuesday April 21 to protest the fatal shooting of 24-year-old taxi driver Aden Mohamed at the Modika roadblock.

The demonstrations were sparked by anger over what residents and local leaders described as an unprovoked police killing, prompting widespread calls for accountability and urgent investigations.

According to witnesses, Mohamed was shot on Tuesday morning following a confrontation with police officers. He had reportedly stopped at the roadblock while attempting to assist a friend, identified as Mohamud, whose vehicle had broken down.

In a dramatic show of protest, demonstrators carried Mohamed’s body through the streets to Garissa Police Station, demanding justice and an end to extrajudicial killings.

Local leaders have called on authorities to act swiftly, ensure transparency, and hold those responsible accountable.

Garissa Senator Abdulkadiir Mohamed Yusuf Haji urged Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to take immediate action against a police officer identified as Charles Kauwi, a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer attached to Garissa Police Station.

“Any police officer found culpable in this matter, whether directly involved or complicit, must be held fully accountable. Officers are entrusted with the duty to protect life and uphold the law—not to intimidate or unlawfully take lives,” the Senator said during a parliamentary session on Wednesday April 23.

He also raised concerns over multiple police roadblocks along the Modika–Barack Junction corridor, which he said have drawn complaints of harassment and extortion from the public.

“I have requested clarification on their legal basis, including whether they are properly gazetted, and what action will be taken against any operating outside the law,” the Senator added.

Dadaab Ward Representative Mohamed Abdi Farah echoed these concerns, describing the killing as intentional and excessive. “We demand nothing short of justice. Protests will continue until the officer is arrested and arraigned in court,” he said.

Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed Barow further accused police of intimidating residents, alleging that non-cooperation often leads to threats of terrorism charges. “There are claims that those who fail to cooperate are handed over to anti-terror units and profiled as terrorists,” the legislator stated.

Area Woman Representative Udgoon Siyad condemned the incident as an unprovoked extrajudicial killing and called for a swift investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). She noted that this was the third such incident in the area without accountability.

Nominated MP Ummul Khier Haroun also called for the immediate suspension of the officer involved. “We have lost a young life due to alleged misuse of a firearm by an officer meant to protect citizens. The officer should be suspended as investigations proceed,” she said.

Human rights activists in Garissa have also strongly condemned the killing, urging authorities to arrest those responsible and ensure the integrity of the investigation.

Muktar Osman of the Garissa Human Rights Network warned against delays or interference in the case. “We do not want this to become another unresolved case of extrajudicial killing. We demand the immediate arrest of the officers involved,” he said.

“There must be no attempt to conceal evidence, interfere with witnesses, or distort the facts. Justice must take its full course,” he added.