Rex Masai murder case: Police officer fails to show up in court
The murder case of the late Rex Masai did not proceed as scheduled on Monday, March 10, 2025, after one of the key state witnesses failed to show up in court.
Fredrick Ole Tepes, a police officer who was the armourer at the Central Police Station was expected to shed light on the movement of firearms on the day Rex was shot dead.
This information was to help find out who was in possession of the firearm that was used to kill Rex.
Tepes was required to testify after which a civilian witness and activist Boniface Mwangi, who were among the protesters when Rex was killed, would follow suit.
However, despite the civilian being present in court, the case could not proceed because his testimony must be recorded after that of officer Tepes.
Lawyer Mwangi Chege for the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) representing the family said that they will pursue the matter and ensure no other incident of a police officer using a firearm on unarmed demonstrators would be witnessed.
“We will ensure that no occasion that police or any other member of the armed units or security forces will ever use live ammunition on civilians who are exercising their (constitutional) rights,” Chege said.
Isaiah Ndumba Murangiri, the cop accused of shooting Rex Kanyeki Masai during the anti-tax protests that took place in June 2024, on February 5, 2025, told the court that those who shot the deceased were criminals, not police officers.
During cross-examination, after the prosecution team played two videos of the events that took place on the night of June 20, 2024, Murangiri told the court that his reference to those who killed Rex as criminals came as a result of how they carried out the operation as seen in the video.
In the two videos played during the proceedings of the case at the Milimani High Court before Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, a man was seen with a firearm which he fired and went ahead to clobber another man who was hiding under a van.
Prosecuting Counsel Gikui Gichuhi asked Murangiri whether he had seen any firearm or discharge of a firearm in the videos played in court to which he replied that he had not seen any but suspected the man was holding one.
“I have not seen any but I suspect the man with the white shoes might be holding a firearm but am not sure,” Corporal Murangiri told the court.
In his explanation of his understanding of the videos, Murangiri added that even the police batons used by the said person as seen in the videos do not resemble the ones issued to them when on duty.
Further, Murangiri told the court that even criminals can acquire firearms and tear gas canisters, adding that in his work experience, he has come across criminals using both firearms and tear gas.
“Even as we are talking now there are criminals with firearms,” Murangiri told the court.
Earlier, Murangiri had informed the court that on that material day the events unfolded, he had been issued with a teargas launcher which according to him cannot kill a person.
During the court proceedings, it also emerged that there was a contradiction between the record of description of what the accused said he was wearing and what he told the court on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, about what he wore on that fateful day.
Milimani High Court Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, adjourned the case to Thursday, March 13, 2025 and Friday, March 14, 2025.
