Police have launched investigation into the shooting of a man inside Garissa military camp on Wednesday night.
Abdullahi Kassim Yussuf is alleged to have walked into the military camp at midnight and refused to stop when ordered to prompting officers to open fire killing him instantly.
Members of the public Thursday barricaded sections of the busy Kismayu road by burning used tyres and disrupted traffic for more than 4 hours before normalcy was restored.
According to one of the relatives who requested anonymity the deceased had four bullet wounds around the chest area.
Hundreds of angry locals trooped to Garissa Referral Hospital where the body was taken and immediately started demonstration towards the town center.
They engaged the police in hide and seek burning bone fires along Kismayu Road blocking motorist while demanding answers over the killings.
The deceased according to close family members was allegedly at the hospital with his ailing father but it’s not clear why he left the hospital and went to military camp, a highly secured area.
Human right activist in the county are calling for a probe into the incident.
Led by Muktar Dahir Osman, the activists while condemning the shooting demanded justice for the victim.
“We area calling upon the investigative machineries to get to the bottom of this,” Osman said.
According to entry on Occurrence Book at Garissa police station ‘a Somali male adult aged 28 years old had gone to the barracks but when he was challenged to identify himself, he tried to snatch an officer’s rifle’.
‘The victim was overpowered and tried to run away prompting the officers to open fire. There was one warning shot but he did not stop prompting the officers to shoot him killing instantly,’ the OB read.
But speaking to KNA on phone on Friday, the Garissa sub-county DCI boss, Michael Njeru, said his office had started investigation into the matter and urged the public to remain calm.
“We have started inquiry into the matter and we shall ensure that justice for both sides prevail. I urge members of the public to remain calm and give us time to investigate the matter,” Njeru said.
By Jacob Songok
