Police officer denies involvement in Rex Masai killing despite photographic evidence

Police officer Isaiah Murangiri denied being involved in Rex Masai's shooting during demonstrations in June last year. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard] The investigation into the killing of 29-year-old protester Rex Masai took a new twist on Wednesday after Police Constable Isaiah Murangiri, a key suspect, denied being the man captured in photographs presented in court as evidence. According to the IPOA, Murangiri is positively identified as the man captured in images allegedly taken on the day Masai was shot dead. Appearing tense but composed before Milimani Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, Murangiri distanced himself from the images which IPOA insists depict him at the Uhuru Highway in Nairobi on June 20, 2024, the same day Masai was fatally shot. "That is not me. I can't confirm that it's the same person," Murangiri told the court when confronted with two key sets of photographs. "I was deployed near KICC grounds, but I remained in one place and did not engage with the crowd," he added. However, the officer insists he never fired a shot, was not armed, and was not even in Nairobi on some of the days during the demonstration last June. "That day, I never fired." During intense questioning by LSK lawyer David Mwangi, Murangiri admitted he was part of a plainclothes unit dubbed Alpha Mike, which he described as an anti-mugging squad under the Nairobi Police. He stated that on the day of Masai's shooting, he was armed only with a tear gas launcher and insisted that he neither loaded it nor fired it during deployment. "I was issued with a tear gas launcher at 5 am. I did not receive any order to shoot, and I never discharged the weapon," he said. "The protesters never reached our position," he added, clarifying that any record of firearm use would be traceable. "Ballistics and armory documentation would show if I used it, and I didn't." He further explained that officers are briefed each morning on their assignments and are instructed on the appropriate weaponry to carry. "At the end of duty, all firearms must be returned and accounted for. You cannot be armed if you're not officially on duty," Murangiri told the court. Police Constable Isaiah Murangiri was captured holding a police walkie-talkie on Uhuru Highway on June 20, 2024, the day Masai was killed. Despite Murangiri's insistence, DPP presented photographic and video evidence showing a man bearing a strong resemblance to the officer, captured on both June 18 and June 20, wearing similar attire and, notably, a wristband with Kenyan artwork. "This person is seen on both days with the same Kenya-themed wristband and matching facial features. He wore a blue shirt, black cap, blue trousers, and black shoes, and was holding a police walkie-talkie on Uhuru Highway on June 20, 2024, the day Masai was killed," the state prosecutor pointed out. "The resemblance is not just in body structure and dress code but includes identifiable features beneath the left ear and matching accessories." Murangiri, however, remained steadfast that: "I do not recall what I wore on June 20. I cannot confirm that the individual in the footage is me," he said, even when directed to inspect his own facial features and compare them with the images shown. The officer also clarified the hierarchy within the Alpha Mike special squad that had been deployed during protests in June 2024, stating that the unit receives orders from the OCPD (Officer Commanding Police Division) and not the OCS (Officer Commanding Station), contrary to what had previously been indicated by senior officers in court. "Alpha Mike takes orders from the OCPD," Murangiri confirmed. He also disclosed that due to the scale of the protest and expected unrest, multiple police units from across Nairobi had been redeployed to the KICC area. When asked about his presence on June 18, 2024, two days before the fatal shooting, Murangiri claimed he had not reported to his station that day as he had permission to attend to his sick child and could not have accessed police equipment. "There is no arms movement record showing my name on that day. I was not issued any weapon or communication gear," he said. "Without documentation, no officer should be in possession of firearms or walkie-talkies." He added. In a dramatic moment, LSK Lawyer Mwangi asked Murangiri to face the court for a physical comparison with the suspect in the photos. The trial magistrate and prosecution watched closely as the LSK lawyer pointed out similarities in facial structure and markings beneath the officer's left ear. "Is there anything familiar on your face, a mark perhaps?" Lawyer Mwangi asked. Murangiri, visibly uncomfortable, responded only with, "I know of no such mark," even as the photos showed what DPP claimed were identical distinguishing features of a black birthmark underneath his left ear. The Rex Masai inquest case continues for further hearing. Masai was reportedly shot and killed along Moi Avenue in Nairobi during protests against the Finance Bill, 2024.

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