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Rex Masai inquest: Safaricom signals link policeman to spot of fatal shooting
What you need to know:
- Police Constable Isaiah Murangiri is suspected of being the police officer who fatally shot Rex Masai.
- Mr Murangiri was among the officers deployed to quell the protests against the 2024/2025 Finance Bill.
A Safaricom employee has revealed in court that Police Constable Isaiah Murangiri’s cellphone number was traced to the area where activist Rex Masai was fatally shot during the Gen Z protests of June 20, 2024.
Mr Murangiri is suspected of being the police officer who fatally shot Masai.
Testifying before Milimani Law Court Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo, Mr Zachariah King’ori, said Safaricom signals traced Mr Murangiri’s cellphone to St Elis House, Mama Ngina Street and Kencom area in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) on the material day.
The telecommunications expert told the court that Safaricom signals could pinpoint the location of Murangiri’s phone within the CBD on that particular day.
The court heard that the Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) had requested the mobile service provider to trace the movement of Murangiri’s phone on June 18 and June 20, 2024.
Led in his evidence-in-chief by Assistant Director of Public Prosecution (ADPP) Jalson Makori, Mr King’ori said the officer’s number was traced at various locations within the CBD on June 20, 2024.
Police officer Isaiah Murangiri Ndumba testifies at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on February 5, 2025.
Mr Murangiri was among the police officers deployed to quell the protests against the 2024/2025 Finance Bill, which led to the deaths of more than 60 people and extensive damage of property running into billions of shillings.
The Safaricom employee told the court that they had received several cellphone numbers of interest, including that of Mr Murangiri.
“After receiving the request about the officer’s number, we traced it and located its movement within the CBD,” Mr King’ori said.
The court also heard that when Masai was fatally shot, he was rushed to Bliss Hospital along Moi Avenue but later succumbed to his injuries.
Another witness, Alex Mwandawiro, who is a ballistic expert, also testified in court having examined several firearms and ammunition in connection to Masai’s shooting. The hearing continues on September 25, 2025.
