The inquest into the death of protester Rex Masai continued on Thursday, with the court hearing that investigators were unable to identify the firearm that fired the bullet which killed him during the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations in Nairobi.
Principal Investigating Officer Justin Nyatete, a detective with more than two decades of service, testified before the court and explained the difficulties detectives faced while investigating the shooting near the Absa Bank Kenya area in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Nyatete told the court that investigations showed Masai was the only person injured at the Absa Bank scene. He said other people who suffered injuries during the protests were hurt in different parts of the city.
According to the officer, detectives reviewed witness statements, photographs and video recordings taken during the demonstrations. Some of the material was provided by a protected witness identified as a journalist.
The court heard that the journalist captured images along Uhuru Highway showing a plain-clothed officer moving together with uniformed police officers. The officer was carrying a police radio and baton and appeared to be operating alongside regular police units during the protests.
Nyatete said the officer in the images resembled a person captured in another video recorded near Absa Bank. Investigators later identified the officer as Isaiah Murangiri.
The court heard that Murangiri had been working undercover and had been issued with a tear gas launcher. Detectives also established that he was carrying a small firearm during the operation.
However, Nyatete testified that forensic investigations failed to connect Murangiri’s weapon, or those issued to other officers who testified, to the bullet that killed Masai.
“The ballistic report showed the cartridge recovered had been fired from a revolver and not from the pistols issued to the officers under investigation,” Nyatete told the court.
He added that detectives were unable to recover the bullet because it exited Masai’s body, making it difficult to determine the exact weapon used.
Nyatete also revealed inconsistencies in Murangiri’s statement. While Murangiri claimed he was not on duty on June 18, he later stated that on June 20 he had reported for duty at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
The investigating officer further told the court that police officers denied responsibility for individuals seen chasing protesters, claiming they were criminals and not police officers.
Nyatete said investigators faced a lack of cooperation from police officers during the probe.
The inquest is expected to continue as the court considers whether more officers will be called to testify over Masai’s death.