The National Police Service (NPS) will deploy senior investigators to fill gaps it says were left by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) in the probe into the killing of Gen Z activist Rex Masai on June 20, 2024.
Through its lawyers, G & A Advocates, the NPS told a Nairobi court that IPOA’s investigation into the death was “incomplete and lacking in crucial evidentiary detail,” warning that failure to address the omissions could result in a miscarriage of justice.
Rex Masai, who was killed during the 2024 Gen-Z anti-government protests.
Photo credit: Pool
“The death of Rex Masai is a matter of great public importance. Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done,” the NPS said in submissions before Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo.
The police urged the magistrate not to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to close the inquest until all critical evidence is presented, saying, “No stone should be left unturned, particularly in a matter where life was lost.”
The NPS faulted both IPOA and the DPP for what it termed “incomplete and lackadaisical” investigations, claiming the evidence presented so far was inadequate and risked letting the culprits escape accountability.
Among the areas the NPS wants revisited are: statements from eyewitnesses to the shooting, CCTV footage from a nearby bank, photographic identification, arms movement registers, ballistic analysis of a Ceska pistol, medical testimony, and evidence from the property manager of International Life House, where the shooting occurred.
Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
Only the arms register from Central Police Station has been presented, yet the demonstrations involved officers from several stations, including Kamakunji, Kilimani, Ngara, and Parliament, the court heard. The NPS argued that all relevant registers must be examined to establish which firearm was discharged.
“The omission to scrutinise these registers creates the perception of a superficial or predetermined investigation,” the NPS lawyers submitted.
The police also identified George Ndickers Abuti, a close friend of the deceased, as a key eyewitness yet to testify.
In his IPOA statement, Abuti said he was with Masai when police opened fire and carried him to Bliss Hospital, where he died. Mr Onsarigo adjourned the matter to November 11, 2025, when he will issue summonses to 10 witnesses identified by the NPS.
