The officer in charge of the Central Police Station armoury, Corporal Fredrick Odera Okapesi, failed to identify the alleged main suspect in the murder of activist Rex Kanyike Masai, despite earlier telling the court he knew him.
Appearing before Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo on Monday, September 1, 2025, Corporal Okapesi was shown photos by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), allegedly depicting Corporal Isaiah Murangiri Ndumba during the anti-finance bill protests in June 2024. However, Okapesi struggled to recognize Murangiri, instead suggesting the images resembled another officer, Benson Kamau.
Pressed by IPOA lawyer David Tenge on whether he was certain the individual was Kamau, Okapesi responded:
“Both Isaiah Murangiri and Benson Kamau are light-skinned. I can only identify them if they are produced physically.”
Despite earlier testimony that he knew Murangiri and could identify him in person, Okapesi failed to answer directly when asked if the civilian officer in the photos wearing a blue shirt, black cap, and holding a police radio was indeed Murangiri.
During cross-examination by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Okapesi had admitted that Murangiri was an officer at Central Police Station and could be recognized if present in court.
IPOA presented photographs taken on June 18 and June 20, 2024, which they argued matched the description of the alleged prime suspect in Masai’s killing.
When the court recalled Murangiri for comparison, he denied being the man captured in the images.
“I’m not the one in those photos. On June 18, 2024, I had taken leave to attend to my sick child,” Murangiri told the court.
He also dismissed claims that he was the individual pictured in a blue shirt, black cap, blue trousers, and black shoes while holding a walkie-talkie.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) lawyer David Mwangi highlighted a distinctive birthmark beneath the left ear of the man in the photos, which appeared to match Murangiri.
The officer, however, denied having such a mark. Mwangi urged him to confirm the matter at home with a mirror.
Mwangi further pointed out a Kenyan-themed wristband visible in the photos from both protest dates, but Murangiri again denied being the person photographed.
Journalist GG, a protected witness, who captured the images, testified virtually before Magistrate Onsarigo on July 29, 2025.
She identified additional features, including two wristbands one bearing Kenyan flag artwork and another with the initials “Izoo” worn by the suspect on June 20, 2024.
She noted the officer’s appearance on that day: a black cap, dark grey short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, black mask, white sneakers, and a walkie-talkie.
GG also testified that she was able to identify plainclothes officers during protests and cited video evidence she had provided to IPOA, which was played in court. She described the suspect’s attire on June 18, 2024, as a black cap, light blue shirt, grey trousers, and black shoes, captured outside the Supreme Court building where protesters were being detained.
Rex Masai was fatally shot on June 20, 2024, during the protests
