The inquest into the death of 29-year-old protester Rex Kanyike Masai has taken a dramatic turn after a senior firearms examiner told a Nairobi court that the pistols submitted by police did not fire the fatal shot.
Senior Superintendent Alex Mdindi Mwandawiro, a ballistic expert attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), testified that the bullet fragment recovered from Masai’s body was inconsistent with the calibre of the pistols presented for forensic analysis. The bullet jacket, which had been produced in court by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on July 1, 2024, weighed 0.38 grams and bore right-hand twist engravings. However, its core was missing.
According to Mwandawiro, the damage pattern and characteristics of the fragment showed that it could not have come from any of the pistols handed over for examination at DCI Central Police Station. Instead, the analysis suggested that the fatal shot was fired from a high-calibre rifle. He identified weapons such as the Russian-made AK-1, the Israeli Galil, or Kenya’s locally manufactured Chalbi rifle as possible sources of the live round.
His findings directly contradicted earlier statements made during the inquest that no live ammunition had been used by security officers during the “maandamano” protests in which Masai was shot. Mwandawiro told the court that the fragment clearly came from a live rifle round, not from rubber bullets as some had initially suggested.
However, the firearms expert admitted that his conclusions were limited because no rifle was ever submitted to him for analysis. He further revealed that although three pistols were initially presented for ballistic testing, one could not be accounted for. This revelation raised concerns over the integrity of the chain of evidence in the case.
Trial Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo heard that the mismatch between the bullet fragment and the pistols, the missing firearm, and the absence of a suitable rifle in the submissions all pointed to significant gaps in the investigation. The testimony has cast doubt on the accuracy of previous accounts and has left open questions about the weapon that actually fired the fatal shot.
Masai died on June 20, 2024, during nationwide protests against the government. His death sparked outrage and calls for accountability, with rights groups insisting on a transparent inquest into the role of security agencies during the demonstrations.
The latest evidence is likely to intensify scrutiny of the police handling of the case. With the court still lacking the weapon that fired the bullet, and with inconsistencies in the firearms submitted, the inquest may have to pursue fresh lines of inquiry to determine the true circumstances surrounding Masai’s death.
The hearing continues.
Image by The Standard
