Rex Masai case: Police told protester to 'let him die there', says witness
The public inquest into the death of Rex Masai continued on Thursday, with more details revealed about the day the protester died after being killed by a policeman during protests in June 2024.
The public inquest into the death of Rex Masai continued on Thursday, with more details revealed about the day the protester died after being shot and killed by a policeman during protests in June 2024.
A boda boda rider has told the public inquest that he overheard police officers telling a Gen Z protester to let a wounded demonstrator die instead of helping him.
Laban Njoroge, one of the witnesses, said he could not identify the wounded person lying in a pool of blood but clearly heard officers responding to a young protester’s plea for help with the words, "Wacha akufie hapo" (Let him die there).
“I was in a bad state myself. The police had beaten me to a point where I had no strength to follow up on the matter,” Njoroge recounted.
He described the officers, who were armed with batons, as brutal. “They used excessive force,” he said.
Njoroge and his friend, Mekatilili Mweru, had traveled from their hometown and joined other demonstrators in Nairobi’s central business district at around 2 pm on the day of the protests.
He said he only had a bottle of water while Mweru carried a Kenyan flag.
Not familiar with Nairobi streets, they moved through the city chanting “Reject Finance Bill.”
As evening approached, Njoroge said they decided to leave, but at around 6:45 pm, officers patrolling the streets emerged.
The protesters ran for safety, attempting to take refuge in a building, but a security guard denied them entry.
“The officers caught up with us and started beating us,” he testified.
After escaping the scene, Njoroge saw a young man lying in a pool of blood. It was then that he heard the officer say, “Wacha akufie hapo.”
While he did not witness an officer firing a gun, Njoroge said uniformed police officers beat him around his pelvic area.
“I could hear sounds, but I couldn't tell whether it was a gunshot or tear gas. But I didn't see an officer shoot,” he said.
The inquest, which was scheduled to continue on Friday, was adjourned to May 12, 2025.