The killing of Rex Masai in the heart of Nairobi’s Central Business District during the June 2024 protests remains one of the darkest marks of state brutality in recent years. Rex, a young activist, was part of the thousands of Gen Z demonstrators who took to the streets to oppose the Finance Bill 2024/2025.
The protests, which were meant to be a peaceful stand against harsh tax measures, quickly escalated when police responded with tear gas, water cannons, and live bullets.
On June 20, Rex was struck by a bullet while near Kencom and was rushed to Bliss Hospital along Moi Avenue, but his life could not be saved.
His death became a symbol of the more than sixty lives lost in those chaotic weeks, exposing the ugly face of policing in Kenya.
The inquest into his killing is currently unfolding at the Milimani Law Courts, overseen by Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo. It is a process that strips bare the system and shows how justice is often delayed for the victims of police violence.
The evidence presented has already brought into focus one man, Police Constable Isaiah Murangiri, now under scrutiny as the suspected officer who pulled the trigger.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) demanded call data from Safaricom to establish his movements, and a telecommunications expert, Zachariah King’ori, testified that Murangiri’s phone was pinging from locations around St. Elis House, Mama Ngina Street, and Kencom on the very day Rex was shot.
This was not just a coincidence; it placed him right at the scene where the fatal bullet was fired.
The inquest also heard from ballistics expert Alex Mwandawiro, who examined firearms and ammunition linked to the case. While his detailed findings are yet to be fully disclosed, the evidence is stacking up in a way that cannot be ignored.
These testimonies have made it clear that the killing of Rex was not an accident lost in the chaos of the protests. There was a man behind the gun, and the trail of data and forensic evidence points directly at him.What is at stake in this inquest is bigger than just one case.
Rex’s death revealed the reckless and often deadly force the police use against unarmed citizens exercising their democratic rights.
The government’s narrative of maintaining order cannot wash away the blood that was spilled. Families like that of Rex Masai are demanding justice, not rehearsed excuses.
They want accountability from the officer accused, but also from the entire system that allows police to act with impunity and then hide behind drawn-out court processes.
Constable Murangiri is expected to testify in February 2025, but until then, the evidence already presented has painted a damning picture. Safaricom’s call data records have shown the power of technology in unmasking the truth, and for once, the shield of denial that police often use appears to be cracking.
The next hearing on September 25, 2025, is being closely watched by the public, activists, and the families of other victims of police shootings.
Rex Masai’s death was not just a personal tragedy but also a national wake-up call. The state cannot continue treating lives as expendable every time citizens challenge government policies.
The inquest may not bring Rex back, but it can set a precedent that those who hide behind uniforms and guns will eventually be exposed. The evidence against Murangiri is strong, and this case must end with justice served, not another whitewash that lets a killer cop walk free while citizens continue to fall under police bullets. Rex’s blood should not be in vain, and the court must prove that the system can deliver justice when it matters most.
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