Isaiah Murangiri: "I'm Not The One" – Officer Linked to Rex Masai Killing

 

 The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on Wednesday presented evidence that placed the main suspect in the killing of Rex Masai, police officer Isaiah Murangiri, near the scene of the crime.

However, despite photographic, video and phone records placing him near the scene, Officer Murangiri denied that he was the man captured on camera.

Murangiri, who previously testified that he was off duty during protests on the 18th of June — two days before Rex Masai was shot — denied that the one captured was him.

During the tense proceedings of the inquest at Milimani Law Courts, a projector beamed a sequence of images showing a man believed to be Murangiri, holding a tear gas launcher and confronting protesters.

The man in the images wore a blue shirt, black cap, and a distinctive wristband featuring Kenyan artwork, details that reappeared across multiple dates, including June 20, the day Rex Masai was gunned down in Nairobi’s CBD.

Despite the visual match, Murangiri stuck to his denial, stating he was not the one in the photos being displayed.

"I'm not the one," he firmly told the court.Even when IPOA’s team zoomed in on a black birthmark visible beneath the left ear of the officer in the photo and asked Murangiri to face the court for comparison, the officer stood firm.

"I’m not the one in those photos. On June 18, I did not come to work. I had sought permission to attend to my sick child," he stressed.

But IPOA's Assistant Director of Forensics, Paul Njihia, reminded the court that Masai died from a live bullet wound, not tear gas.

 IPOA argued that the June 18 photos established Murangiri had been on duty during the protests and was likely part of the covert squad deployed in plain clothes.

In his defense, Murangiri maintained that he only worked on June 20 and had been stationed near the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

He added that officers had been briefed there, including a special deployment from the Alpha Mike unit, which he said operated under direct instructions from the OCPD, not the OCS at Central Police Station.

Now the Examiner questioned, “Although you say that it is not you, this person that bears a resemblance to you, why would you lie to this court that you were at KICC?"

"Your honor, I’m saying the truth. I’m not lying to this court," he denied.

Presiding Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo directed Corporal Martin Githinji, Constable Simon Waweru and Constable Geoffrey Mbae , all from Central Police Station ,to avail themselves to IPOA.