Ex-Nairobi OCPD Doris Mugambi recalled to testify in Rex Masai murder inquest

Former Nairobi OCPD Doris Mugambi took the stand on Thursday to testify after being recalled in the ongoing inquest into the murder of Rex Masai.

Mugambi, who had previously given evidence, appeared again and distanced herself from any responsibility regarding the officers deployed during the anti-government protests held on June 20, 2024. She stated that no officer is accountable for another and noted that no duty roster listing the names of deployed officers had been presented in court.

In her testimony before Milimani magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, Mugambi said the protests were spontaneous and unanticipated. Although she had received information from the Parliament Police Station, she could not speak to the status of the investigations.

“I confirmed that no live ammunition was used on the day of the protests, adding that the firearm in use had all its ammunition returned and accounted for,” she told the court.

Mugambi also clarified that while she was the overall head of several police stations, including Central, Kamukunji, Ngara, KICC, and Parliament, the individual Officers Commanding Station (OCSs) were responsible for operations, including deployment and reporting.

She further confirmed that undercover officers from the anti-mugging unit were present during the protests but were not under her direct command.

Ten officers are yet to testify in the inquest. The court was urged to expedite the process, as more than a year has passed since Rex Masai’s fatal shooting.

The prosecution applied to have police officer Isaiah Muraguri recalled as a witness, a request the court allowed. The matter will next be heard on July 16.

Previously, the OCS of Central Police Station, Chief Inspector Moses Mutai Shikuku, testified that some officers under his command were armed on the day Rex was killed.

Shikuku recounted that while patrolling the Central Business District (CBD), he received a phone call from an inspector informing him that a young man had been taken to Bliss Hospital near the Tom Mboya monument in critical condition.

He was testifying in the inquest into the death of Rex Masai, who died during anti-government protests that turned chaotic in parts of Nairobi's CBD in June 2024.

“Some of the officers were in plain clothes and stationed at strategic locations, including Jeevanjee Gardens, University Way, and Globe Roundabout,” Shikuku told the court. “They were operating under divisional-level directives.”

He added that he instructed an officer to take charge of the situation, after which a decision was made to transport the body following the young man's death.

Among those implicated in the case are police officers Isaiah Muraguri and Benson Kamau. Former Nairobi Regional Police Commander Adamson Bungei, who now serves as the Director of Police Operations, has also testified.

Other Topics To Read

• National
• Rex Masai
• Doris Mugambi
• Rex Masai inquest
• Ex-Nairobi OCPD Doris Mugambi recalled to testify in Rex Masai murder inquest
• Headlines

Former Kamukunji OCS Robert Mugo testified that the use of the Kamukunji police vehicle to transport two bodies that day was not coincidental, but part of a broader regional operation.

“The vehicle did not act independently. There was coordination from higher up,” he stated.

Mugo said he had deployed 60 officers to secure the lower CBD, covering Ronald Ngala Street, Luthuli Avenue, Afya Centre, and parts of Ngara.

“As far as my jurisdiction was concerned, everything was calm. The unrest occurred in areas like Kenyatta Avenue and near City Hall, which were outside my operational zone,” he said.

He maintained that none of his officers were armed with live ammunition.

“All my officers were issued only with teargas canisters and batons,” he told the inquest.