Forensic expert places plainclothes officer at scene of Rex Masai shooting

A senior IPOA forensic expert on Wednesday presented detailed CCTV footage and photographic evidence linking a police officer to the events surrounding the fatal shooting of protester Rex Kanyike Masai during the June 20, 2024, “Gen Z” demonstrations in Nairobi.

The inquest before Milimani Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo heard testimony from Joshua Mutua, a seasoned crime scene investigator and forensic image analyst, who told the court that he had examined a flash disk containing 36 photographs and two video clips captured on June 18 and June 20, 2024. 

The evidence, he said, places a plainclothes police officer at the center of the events that claimed Masai’s life along Moi Avenue.

Rex Masai, 29, was shot and killed on June 20, 2024, as thousands of young Kenyans flooded Nairobi’s Central Business District in protests against the controversial Finance Bill and the demonstrations drew global attention and made Masai one of the most documented casualties of the day.

Mutua, a biochemist with a master’s degree in forensics from Egerton University and over a decade of experience at the DCI National Forensic Laboratory, told the court that the images and videos told a consistent narrative.

He said the material was obtained from CCTV cameras along Mama Ngina Street and additional footage from Absa Bank following a formal request by authorities.

The images captured a man of brown complexion wearing a black cap, blue shirt, grey trousers, and white sports shoes, moving among groups of people in what appeared to be a protest and police operation setting.

“In photographs one to four, taken on June 18, the expert described a man of brown complexion in grey trousers and black sports shoes, holding what appeared to be a police communication gadget in his left hand,” Mutua told the court.

Photographs five to ten showed the same individual among people boarding a police lorry. He was repeatedly seen holding a device resembling a police radio and, at times, carrying what appeared to be a tear gas launcher while moving alongside officers.

“By photographs 11 to 15, the image became clearer. The man was now seen with a gas launcher secured under his left armpit,” he said.

Between seconds 28 and 37 of a 13-minute video dated June 18, the man was captured among a crowd. Other segments showed him near and boarding a police vehicle.

In another clip labeled “Occupy Parliament protests,” he was again seen holding a communication device while wearing a Kenyan flag bracelet.

Mutua said the footage formed part of a key investigation into events that unfolded along Moi Avenue and across the CBD during the protests.

The evidence became more pointed when the timeline shifted to June 20, the day Masai died.

Photographs 16 to 18 showed the same man among police officers along Mama Ngina Street. He wore a black cap marked “Bell,” a black shirt, blue jeans, and white sports shoes, with bracelets including one bearing the Kenyan flag and another labeled “Izoo.”

Mutua also reviewed two video clips from the flash disk. 

The first, a 13-minute-22-second recording from June 18, showed the man holding a mobile phone and a device resembling a police radio. 

Between the 31st and 35th seconds, he was seen holding what Mutua described as a tear gas launcher before boarding a police Land Cruiser.

The second clip, a 14-second video labeled “Occupy Parliament Protests” and recorded on June 20, showed a group of people, including a man in white sports shoes holding a communication device, with a baton tucked under his arm and a Kenyan flag bracelet on his wrist, matching the earlier images.

“After examining the photographs and videos, I formed the opinion that the person depicted is one and the same individual,” Mutua told the court.

Beyond the flash disk, Mutua also presented a certificate relating to CCTV footage obtained from Absa Bank along Mama Ngina Street. 

IPOA requested the footage on June 22, 2024, two days after the shooting. The bank provided recordings covering the period between 7:00 pm and 9:17 pm on June 20.

Mutua emphasized the integrity of the evidence, stating that the footage had not been altered or interfered with. 

The report and certificate, dated June 26, 2024, were admitted as court exhibits.

The case has drawn significant public interest, with the man identified in the footage believed to be Isaiah Ndumba Murangiri, a police officer who has emerged as a central figure in the investigation.

According to witnesses, including journalists who have testified in the inquest, Murangiri was reportedly a plainclothes officer on the day, dressed in a black top, blue jeans, and white shoes, and was seen in multiple clips allegedly engaging in activities such as firing tear gas and assisting in arrests.

Witness accounts presented to the inquest have linked Murangiri to the scene, with identification reportedly supported by distinguishing features, including a birthmark under his left ear.

Despite mounting evidence, including photographs, video footage, and Safaricom phone data placing him near the scene, Murangiri has consistently denied being the individual captured in the images and videos.

That denial is now being examined piece by piece before Magistrate Onsarigo, as IPOA builds a detailed, evidence-based case connecting the officer to the events of that fatal afternoon.

The inquest continues.