Police Officers Deny Involvement in Shooting Death of Rex Masai During Nairobi Protests
Benson Kamau and Isaiah Muragiri, two police officers under investigation for their alleged involvement in the shooting death of Rex Masai during June’s anti-Finance Bill protests in Nairobi, have denied being at the scene of the incident.
Masai succumbed to excessive bleeding after sustaining a fatal gunshot wound to his thigh, reportedly inflicted by police during the demonstrations.
Officer Kamau testified in court that on June 20, he was assigned to Museum Hill, near the Kileleshwa-Parklands junction, carrying a pistol loaded with 15 rounds. Deployed alongside his colleague, also armed, he said their mission was to conduct undercover surveillance in plain clothes along Uhuru Highway to gather intelligence.
Kamau stated, “The area remained calm all day until 6 p.m. when I returned my firearm. I did not visit the CBD that entire week, nor did I discharge my weapon. After the assignment, I took a taxi home.”
He dismissed allegations linking him to the CBD, adding, “If my phone activity places me there, I have no comment. The accusations I face stem from Gen-Z members who claim I killed Rex.”
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Corporal Ndumba, meanwhile, told the court he had been issued a tear gas launcher on the same day and was stationed near the KICC entrance with a colleague. He said he was dressed in plain clothes—a black jacket and trousers, though he couldn’t recall the color of the latter—and his face was uncovered.
“I did not engage with any protestors or fire a tear gas canister that day. Where I was stationed, there were no demonstrations. The vehicle we used was a Mahindra, but I don’t remember its license plate,” Ndumba explained, denying any involvement in Masai’s death. “I didn’t know Rex Masai and didn’t possess a firearm capable of killing someone that day.”
The court asked both officers to step out during sensitive witness testimonies.
Crispine Odawa, Masai’s father, recounted how he received a call from his wife that evening informing him of their son’s death.
Odawa narrated, “She said Rex had been shot and had died at Bliss Hospital in Nairobi’s city center. When I arrived, I saw visible injuries, including an open wound on his left thigh. A doctor confirmed it was a bullet wound, with the bullet still lodged in his thigh. However, an unidentified officer from Central Police Station barred us from taking the body. It was later transferred to City Mortuary.”
Police Officers Deny Involvement in Shooting Death of Rex Masai During Nairobi Protests
