Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso says they are investigating the circumstances behind Mr Sharif’s death.

Local media say he was shot at a roadblock on the Nairobi-Magadi highway in a case of mistaken identity.

Mr Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddique tweeted on Monday that she had “ lost [a] friend, husband and my favourite journalist”.

Mr Sharif’s reporting on alleged corruption and his criticism of Pakistani officials frequently led him to run-ins with the authorities.

At the time of his death, Mr Sharif was said to be working on an investigative report that featured journalists from various parts of the world looking into claims of state-sponsored criminal cartels that implicated senior Pakistani officials.

Pakistani police had also filed sedition cases against Mr Sharif over a contentious interview with an opposition activist.

Pakistan President Arif Alvi said “Arshad Sharif’s death Is a great loss to journalism and Pakistan. May his soul rest in peace and may his family, which includes his followers, have the strength to bear this loss”.