A fresh twist has emerged in the inquest into the death of Rex Masai after an Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) investigating officer told the court that new analysis of photographic and CCTV evidence points to a specific police officer as the shooter during the June 2024 anti-finance bill protests.
On Thursday, June 18, at Milimani Law Courts, IPOA investigator Justin Nyatete stated that after reviewing additional images and surveillance footage obtained following the submission of the initial report to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the authority had identified an officer who fired at fleeing demonstrators.
He told the court that the officer identified in the footage is Corporal Isaiah Murangiri, who is captured in photographs taken along Uhuru Highway and in CCTV clips pursuing protesters while holding what investigators say appears to be a firearm.
“The individual that we were able to identify is Corporal Isaiah Murangiri. Although investigators never recovered the firearm used, ballistic evidence or the fatal bullet, records from the Police Arms Movement Register confirmed that Isaiah Murangiri had been issued with equipment on the day Rex Maasai was shot,” he told the court.
The revelation comes as Kenyans prepare for the June 25, 2026 commemoration of those killed during the 2024 anti-government protests.
Fresh CCTV Evidence Links Officer to Fatal Shooting of Rex Masai
Nyatete said earlier findings had been inconclusive due to limited evidence, but the new material significantly altered the direction of the investigation.
The court heard that while the officer had been issued with equipment recorded in the Police Arms Movement Register on the day of the shooting, discrepancies emerged between official records and what is seen in the footage, including indications that he was carrying a different weapon than assigned.
Nyatete further testified that key ballistic evidence, including the fatal bullet and one of the firearms requested for examination, was never submitted to investigators, complicating forensic analysis. He also alleged that some statements recorded from police officers were misleading and hindered the inquiry.
During the hearing, police lawyers urged the court not to close the IPOA case, arguing that crucial witnesses had not yet testified and that key evidence remained unexamined.
However, IPOA opposed the application, maintaining that the evidence already gathered is sufficient for the matter to proceed to the Director of Public Prosecutions for recommendations.
Also Read: Rex Masai Death: IPOA Gives Update on How Far it is With Nailing Killer Police Officers
IPOA Unable to Identify Police Officer Who Shot Rex Masai
On June 15, IPOA investigators gave contrary testimony, stating that CCTV footage reviewed did not clearly capture the face of the officer who discharged the firearm, while none of the witnesses directly observed the shooting.
According to the investigator, the inquiry was therefore unable to conclusively determine who fired the fatal shot.
“We don’t have the bullet, the gun, the cartridge or an eyewitness. As we speak, I cannot tell who killed Rex Masai,” he said.
Also Read: Kenyans Spam MPs Mobile Numbers to Reject Finance Bill 2024
Kenyans Urged to Mark Anniversary of June 25 Anti-Government Protests
In a notice submitted to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja on June 18, families of Gen Z protesters who died during the demonstrations announced plans for peaceful remembrance activities nationwide.
The program will include a march to Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, where they intend to lay flowers at locations where some of their relatives were killed.
The organizers called on Kenyans to remain at home on June 25, 2026, in remembrance of young people who have been killed during anti-government protests over the past two years.
“On Thursday, June 25, 2026, we have invited all Kenyans to stay at home; no school, no work, in remembrance of the children who were killed by the state in the past two years,” the organizers said.
They stressed that they are seeking assurances from police leadership that members of the public participating in the commemorative events will be protected.
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