Journalist gives five photos, video to prove who killed Rex Masai

Rex Masai was shot and killed during protests near Moi Avenue, Nairobi, with video footage showing a man collapsing after a loud pop, allegedly from a plainclothes officer. [Courtesy]

A protected witness on Tuesday presented visual evidence, which, according to the prosecution, proves the police officer Isaiah Murangiri Ndumba killed Rex Masai during anti-Finance Bill protests in June last year.

The photojournalist, codenamed GG for security reasons, tendered five photographs and a video clip that purport to clearly identify Murangiri as the man who pulled the trigger. 

The visuals, recorded on June 18, 19, and 20, were described as critical evidence by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Directorate of Public Prosecution.

“As you can see from photos of June 20, 2024, will see the man, on his left hand, had a wristband with the initials ‘Izoo’, while the right hand had one with Kenyan flag art,” GG told Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo.

On the day Masai was killed, GG further provided photos showing that the suspect in a black cap, a dark grey short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, white sports shoes, a black face mask, and a police walkie-talkie.

In the video, an officer is seen on June 19 in the middle of a group of protesters near the Intercontinental Hotel dressed in a light blue shirt and black cap, and holding a walkie-talkie.

In one photo, the officer is seen clearing a blocked road while holding a rungu and wearing white sports shoes. In another taken on June 18, he is wearing a light blue shirt and black cap, standing beside a police van outside the Supreme Court.

Despite being recalled to court for comparison,  Murangiri denied being the man in the photos. “That is not me. I don’t recognise those clothes or accessories,” he told the court.

However, Law Society of Kenya lawyer David Mwangi, assisting IPOA in the inquest, pointed out a distinctive black birthmark visible beneath the suspect's left ear. But Murangiri denied he had a mark.

“When you get home, please check in the mirror,” Mwangi told the officer.

The hearing was adjourned to September 1 when a chief armourer from Nairobi Central Police Station is expected to testify regarding the issuance and  control of weapons during the protests.