Court adjourns Rex Masai inquest after State witness no-show

The inquest into the killing of activist Rex Masai was adjourned after a key state witness, a police officer, failed to appear in court.

Fredrick Ole Tepes, the armorer at the Central Police Station, was expected to testify before a civilian witness but did not show up, stalling the proceedings.

Masai was fatally shot on June 24, 2024, during youth-led protests demanding better governance.

Lawyer Mwangi Chege, representing the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Masai’s family, vowed to push the case to its conclusion to ensure no security officer uses live ammunition on unarmed protesters again.

“We will ensure that on 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. It is every citizen’s right to picket, protest, and associate,” Chege said.

He further stressed that the case should set a precedent to prevent similar incidents.

“We will be keen in the advancement of attainment of those rights. We are using the case of Rex Masai to set precedence in our country to ensure that as we go forward there will never be a case of use of ammunition in any demonstrations or any gatherings whatsoever,” Chege added.

Police Testimony Expected

The case is set to continue on Thursday, March 13, 2025, and Friday, when the police officer, a civilian witness, and activist Boniface Mwangi are expected to testify.

The armorer is expected to provide details on firearm movement on the day Masai was shot, which could help identify the officer responsible for his death.

Meanwhile, former Nairobi police commander Adamson Bungei and former Nairobi Central Police commander told the inquest that there was no operational order and that locating officers deployed along Tom Mboya Street, where Masai was shot, was not possible.