A witness who was among the protesters during last year’s Gen Z protests told an inquest into the death of Rex Masaai that she heard a police officer say “Muwacheni akufie hapo” which means let him die there.
She recounted the chilling words to court saying on June 24, 2024, as police officers cracked down on demonstrators in Nairobi’s CBD, her friend Laban Njoroge pointed out a young man lying in a pool of blood and that’s when she heard one of the officers say those chilling words.
However, she told court that she did not see the officer who uttered the words further describing the scene as chaotic, with police using force to disperse protesters.
“They were beating us simultaneously… I was injured on my right hand. Other than my head, they were hitting us everywhere,” she testified.
She said the protests had remained peaceful for most part of the day until around 5 PM, when the police moved in aggressively.
As demonstrators scattered, she and her friend began Laban found themselves on Moi Avenue, surrounded by officers armed with long guns and batons.
“There was teargas the whole day, and sometimes the sounds made us wonder whether that was really just teargas or something more,” she said.
As they tried to escape, Laban tripped. She stopped to help him, but they were quickly overpowered. “We were afraid to run because we thought they’d shoot us from behind. We decided to stay and shield ourselves,” she recalled.
It was then that Laban noticed the bleeding young man alleged to be Rex and overheard the officer’s chilling remark.
The witness emphasized that the demonstrators had no leaders—only posters and a shared cause.
The inquest into Rex Masai’s tragic death continues, with more testimonies expected to shed light on what transpired that day.
