Details of Ruto's call to Pakistani PM over journalist Arshad's murder

President William Ruto on Monday spoke to Pakistani Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif over the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif.

The investigative journalist was shot dead on Sunday night along the Nairobi-Magadi highway, in what police termed as a mistaken identity.

According to PM Shehbaz, he has requested Ruto to ensure there is a transparent investigation into Arshad's killing.

He added that President Ruto had pledged to offer support where the need is, including taking the deceased's remains back to Pakistan.

"Just had a telephonic call with Kenyan President William Ruto about the tragic death of Arshad Sharif in Kenya. I requested him to ensure a fair and transparent investigation into the shocking incident. He promised all-out help including fast-tracking the process of return of the body to Pakistan," he tweeted on Monday.

Arshad Sharif was shot in the head and killed by police after he and his driver allegedly breached a roadblock that had been set up to check on motor vehicles using the route.

A senior police officer who confirmed the shooting said Sharif's driver defied an order to stop at a roadblock prompting the shooting.

According to police, at the roadblock, there was a call for police to intercept a car similar to the one they were driving following a carjacking incident in the Pangani area, Nairobi where a child was taken hostage.

And a few minutes later, Sharif’s car emerged at the roadblock and they were stopped and asked to identify themselves.

They allegedly failed to stop and drove past the roadblock.

This prompted a brief chase and shooting that left Sharif dead. Their car rolled and his driver was injured and taken to hospital.

He later told police he and his slain colleague were developers and were headed for a site in Magadi.

"The National Police Service regrets this unfortunate incident. Competent authorities are currently investigating the incident for appropriate action," a police statement said.