Arshad Sharif killing case: Suspicious role of Khurram, brother unearthed

NAIROBI: The suspicious role of Khurram Ahmed, who was driving the vehicle carrying the slain senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Nairobi, and his brother Waqar Ahmed was unearthed after they survived a Kenyan police shooting.

A journalist from TRT World, Ali Mustafa posted a Twitter thread regarding the suspicious role of Khurram Ahmed and his brother Waqar Ahmed, who own a shooting range in Kenya.

Ali Mustafa wrote, “Waqar Ahmed and Khurram Ahmed need to be investigated as two key suspects involved in the killing of Arshad Sharif — Waqar especially seems to be the key guy with a Huts and Homes resort near to where the crime happened. He also arranged for Arshad’s body to be flown in haste.”

Arshad Sharif visited the Ammodump shooting range owned by Waqar Ahmed hours before he was killed — the business as a Youtube page highlighting its status as “a major recce site for security personnel looking to hone their shooting skills.”

Khurram Ahmed, the driver who survived the police shooting, is the brother of Waqar Ahmed, the owner of Ammodump shooting range where Arshad was visiting before being killed and where his body was rushed after he was murdered, he added. The home of Kora sub-location assistant chief Matthias Kamukuru is the only residential compound in the vicinity, and it is only a few metres from where the shooting happened.

A resident of the residential compound told the Nation that he was woken up by three gunshots at 9pm but went back to sleep, assuming it was by GSU trainees. “Around 9pm, I heard ‘twa twa twa’ three times before it went silent. We are used to the same from GSU training school trainees. I was not bothered,” he said. “In the morning I was told by villagers that police officers had gunned down robbers last night.”

The entrance to the GSU training school had little activity. The officers who usually man the entrance were missing. When Sharif left the joint on Sunday evening, little did he know that he would run into a death trap. He had spent his day at the place, which is popular with Indians and Pakistanis.

It remains unclear why Sharif, who was seated in the co-driver’s seat, opted to use the longer route to the main road. His brother, Ahmed, was driving him in a Land Cruiser. “It was reported to Magadi Police Station at 22:00hrs that … a shooting incident involving GSU officers had occurred and the Pakistan national had been fatally shot while he was being driven in the motor vehicle,” the police report reads in part.

According to police officers who spoke to the Nation and are privy to the investigations, Mr Ahmed was flagged down but he sped off. “It was then that they heard gunshots and minutes later, Mr Sharif had been shot dead and was lying in a pool of blood,” an officer who spoke in confidence said.

The vehicle was driven for 25 kilometres without the front right tyre, which a gunshot had deflated. Mr Ahmed then called Naqar Ahmed, a Pakistani who runs Kwenia, and who is also involved in farming at Tinga.

“He advised them to pass through his place, which is located on the way to Nairobi, and on arrival at the main gate, Mr Ahmed found out that his brother had already died with a gunshot wound on the head (that) had penetrated from the back of his head and exited on the front side,” the police report reads. The scene was documented and the body taken to Chiromo Mortuary where a post-mortem was done.