Police officers fumble over gun records in Rex Masai shooting probe

The inquest into the fatal shooting of Rex Kanyike Masai took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as the court closely examined the arms movement register, a crucial document that now places several officers under scrutiny.

Investigators are zeroing in on identifying the firearm used in the June 20 shooting and the officer who fired the fatal shot.

Three police officers attached to Central Police Station took the stand at the Milimani Law Courts, where they struggled to explain discrepancies in the firearms they were issued during last month’s protests, particularly on the day Masai was shot dead in Nairobi’s Central Business District.

One of the officers, Martin Githinji, came under pressure to explain why he signed out the same firearm twice and why his service number appeared to have been altered.

“Are you able to tell which name was deleted?” asked the prosecution.

“Which name was deleted?”

“Martin Githinji.”

“Why were you signing on the next page?”

When asked to clarify the service number written in the register, Githinji said, “I can't tell,” even though it was clearly visible on the screen.

He distanced himself from the inconsistencies and blamed the officer in charge of the armoury for the errors.

“It is the in-charge armoury,” said Githinji.

Another officer, Geoffrey Murangiri, who shares a surname with Isaiah Murangiri, the officer allegedly linked to the shooting, told the court he had only been issued a teargas launcher. However, the register showed he was also given rubber bullets.

“You said you were only issued with a teargas launcher?” asked the prosecution.

The officers’ testimonies directly contradicted entries in the arms movement register. A key protected witness is expected to testify next, with proceedings set to resume on July 29.