NAIROBI, Kenya May 29 – The inquest into the death of protester Rex Masai heard Thursday that investigators were unable to trace the firearm that fired the bullet which killed him during the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations in Nairobi.
Testifying before the court, Principal Investigating Officer Justin Nyatete said detectives encountered major obstacles during the investigation, including what he described as non-cooperation from police officers who were deployed during the protests.
Nyatete, a detective with more than two decades of service, told the court that investigations established Masai was shot near the Absa Bank area within Nairobi’s central business district and was the only casualty recorded at that specific scene. Other victims injured during the protests, he said, were harmed in different locations.
The court heard that investigators reviewed multiple pieces of evidence, including witness accounts, photographs and video footage collected during the demonstrations. Some of the material was reportedly provided by a protected witness identified as a journalist.
According to Nyatete, the footage showed an officer in civilian clothing moving alongside uniformed police officers near Uhuru Highway. The officer was reportedly carrying a police radio and baton while operating within the police formation.
Investigators later identified the officer as Isaiah Murangiri.
Nyatete testified that Murangiri had been deployed undercover and had officially been issued with a tear gas launcher. Detectives also established that he carried a small firearm during the operation.
However, forensic examinations failed to connect Murangiri’s weapon or firearms issued to other officers under investigation to the bullet that killed Masai.
“The ballistic report indicated the cartridge recovered had been fired from a revolver, not from the pistols issued to the officers being investigated,” Nyatete told the court.
He further explained that investigators were unable to recover the fatal bullet because it passed through Masai’s body, significantly complicating efforts to conclusively determine the weapon used.
“We could not link the pistols to the bullet and we were unable to recover the firearm responsible for the fatal shot,” he testified.
The investigating officer also pointed to inconsistencies in Murangiri’s statements.
According to Nyatete, Murangiri initially told investigators he was not on duty on June 18, the day of the protests. However, he later stated that on June 20 he had reported for duty at 5:20 a.m. and had been assigned guard duties at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
The court also heard that investigators attempted to identify individuals captured chasing demonstrators during the unrest.
But officers who testified, including Murangiri, denied involvement and claimed the individuals seen pursuing protesters were criminals rather than police officers.
“Our investigations could not establish the identities of the people chasing demonstrators,” Nyatete said.
“We did what we could, but we encountered non-cooperation from police.”
The testimony exposed significant gaps in the probe, with investigators unable to identify the firearm or individual responsible for Masai’s death despite the availability of witness testimony, video evidence and ballistic analysis.
The inquest is ongoing and the court is expected to decide whether additional officers will be called to testify over the fatal shooting during the anti-Finance Bill protests.
