An inquest into the death of Rex Masai resumes today
at the Milimani Law Court in Nairobi.
Rex Kanyike Masai was shot and killed in Nairobi’s
city centre as police battled anti-tax protesters in June 2024.
He was rushed to Bliss Hospital along Nairobi's Moi
Avenue, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
“He was shot in the upper middle part of the thigh. It
appears he bled to death before being brought to our facility,” a doctor at the
hospital said.
The Director of Public Prosecutions then recommended
an inquest to determine if murder charges should be preferred against suspects.
The inquest is being conducted by Milimani principal
magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo.
Isaiah Muraguri, one of the police officers implicated
in the murder, and former Nairobi region police commander Adamson Bungei are
among those who have testified in the inquest.
Bungei is the current director of police operations.
He distanced himself from any involvement in the killing, claiming no shots
were fired by his police unit during the protests.
Bungei said Rex may have been killed by another armed
individual, but not a police officer.
"Just because there was a shooting doesn’t mean
it was only police officers who could have fired. Private gun owners may have
also been involved. On that day, no police officer fired any shots,” Bungei
said.
Murangiri told the inquest that he was not on duty on
the day Rex met his death.
"On 18 and 19 June I was off duty. I reported to
work on June 20 and was deployed at KICC to quell the protests," he said.
Murangiri, who is attached to the Central Police
Station, said that from 10 am there were demonstrations all over Nairobi's
Central Business District.
He had a tear gas launcher, but he said he didn't use it.
"I didn't fire any rounds from any weapon. I also
didn't launch any tear gas canisters," he said.
He told the court that at around 6pm he returned the
launcher at the station and left for his residence.
