Two Years Later, IPOA Still Can’t Identify Officer Who Killed Rex Maasai

Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has failed to pinpoint the police officer who killed the late activist Rex Maasai during the June 2024 anti-finance bill protests.

It emerged during court proceedings at Milimani Law Courts on Monday, where AIPOA’s principal investigator, Justin Nyatete, appeared before Chief Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo.

Nyatete revealed that after interviewing 26 witnesses, including nine police officers, the probe hit a dead end.

“We had 19 witnesses whose statements we recorded, but their evidence was not strong enough to link any police officer with the killing of Rex Maasai,” he said.

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Investigation Hindered by Lack of Cooperation and Forensic Evidence

He further added that some officers gave halfhearted cooperation, some three had been summoned to record their statements but failed to appear in person.

It was also established that the court failed to recover the necessary forensic evidence, including the spent bullet and bullet from Rex Maasai’s body, as well as fired cartridges.

“There was no clear footage that showed the suspect’s face and no single eyewitness who could point with absolute certainty to the person who pulled the trigger,” Nyatete stated.

One witness, Frederick, had seen an officer in civilian clothing fire his weapon at retreating protestors; he could not ascertain whether Rex Maasai was hit by the bullet shot by the officer.

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IPOA Challenges in the Investigation and Recommendation for Inquest Proceedings

Nyatete attributed the failure of the investigation to interference on the scene and a lack of cooperation with the National Police Service.

He has thus recommended an inquest proceeding instead of a criminal one for lack of strong evidence.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has received the probe file containing witnesses’ statements and investigation summaries, but has not preferred any charge against the concerned police officers.

In the wake of this, Chief Magistrate Onsarigo questioned whether coercing police officers through court orders would lead them to fully cooperate in the investigation, and the former confirmed, “Their information could still be useful to the investigation.

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Rex Maasai, 29, became one of the faces of Kenya’s 2024 anti-finance bill protests after he was fatally shot in Nairobi. His family still awaits answers on who pulled the trigger. Credits PCS