Isaiah Murangiri, the police officer accused of shooting Rex Masai during Finance Bill protests on June 20, 2024, has denied firing the shot that killed him.
He now claims that criminals, not the police, were responsible for Rex’s death.
Isaiah Murangiri also denies being the person seen in a viral CCTV video that surfaced the day after the shooting in Nairobi CBD.
“I do not believe the people in the video were police officers. They looked like criminals using weapons similar to those used by the police,” Murangiri told the court on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
During questioning at the Milimani High Court, Murangiri argued that the individuals in the video did not behave like trained police officers.
The prosecution presented two videos showing what happened on June 20, 2024.
In one clip, a man was seen firing a gun and later hitting someone hiding under a van.
Isaiah Murangiri: It wasn’t me
When Prosecuting Counsel Gikui Gichuhi asked Murangiri if he saw a firearm being used, Murangiri admitted that he did not. He only suspected that a man in white shoes might have had a gun, but he was not certain.
Murangiri also stated that criminals could acquire firearms and tear gas, citing previous encounters. He noted that the police batons seen in the video didn’t look like those typically issued to officers.
Although he denied involvement in the shooting, Murangiri confirmed that he was working as an undercover officer near KICC in Nairobi on the day Rex was killed. However, he could not confirm if he was one of the officers seen firing live bullets in the video, as he could not remember what he was wearing.
Further evidence showed his phone number near the shooting scene, but Murangiri denied this, claiming he didn’t use his phone that day and didn’t know who was using it.
Murangiri insisted that he had only been given a tear gas launcher during the protests, arguing that it could not have caused Masai’s death.
Murangiri told the court that the accusations have deeply affected his life and family. He said his name and details were widely shared on social media, linking him to the shooting.
Contradictory Statements from Other Officers
Former Nairobi Police Commander Adamson Bungei also testified, stating that none of the police officers deployed in Nairobi CBD fired live bullets on the day Rex was killed. Another officer echoed this claim, insisting that the police only used tear gas to disperse protesters. This contradicts video evidence presented in court, showing an individual firing a gun and striking a protester.
The case will continue with more witnesses expected to testify before Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo on March 10, March 11, March 13, and March 14, 2025.
By Vivian K.