Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Doris Mugambi, while testifying in the ongoing inquest into the killing of Rex Masai, distanced the police from any involvement in the fatal shooting, instead pointing to the presence of private and illegal firearms within Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Appearing before Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, OCPD Mugambi stated that based on reports from her station commanders, no police unit deployed live ammunition to disperse demonstrators on the day Rex was killed.
She further maintained that the only way to conclusively determine police involvement would be through ballistic evidence proving that the bullet cartridge recovered from the scene originated from a police-issued firearm.
“Police officers do not have a monopoly on firearms. There are privately licensed weapons as well as illegal ones in circulation, especially in the CBD,” Mugambi testified.
She also revealed that on the same day Rex was fatally shot, a police firearm was reported stolen, implying it could have been used in the incident.
Her remarks, which appeared to absolve the National Police Service from responsibility, came amid widespread criticism over the handling of the June 2024 nationwide protests.
Rex Masai was fatally shot on June 24, 2024, along Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi, during Gen Z-led demonstrations demanding better governance. The inquest into his death began in December 2024 and is still ongoing as authorities seek to establish who was responsible for the shooting.
