Forensic expert tells court live bullets killed student Rex Masai in Nairobi protests
Senior Superintendent of Police and firearms examiner Alex Mdindi Mwandawiro said a bullet fragment recovered from the scene bore all the hallmarks of a live rifle round.
A senior forensic ballistic expert has told a Nairobi court that live ammunition was used during the protests in which university student Rex Masai was killed, contradicting earlier claims that police did not fire live bullets.
Testifying before trial magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo in the ongoing inquest, Senior Superintendent of Police and firearms examiner Alex Mdindi Mwandawiro said a bullet fragment recovered from the scene bore all the hallmarks of a live rifle round.
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"My examination revealed that the damaged jacket was part of a rifled bullet, not rubber," Mwandawiro testified. "The bullet core was missing, but the fragment showed right-hand twist markings and must have come from a live round."
IPOA exhibits
He explained that on July 1, 2024, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) submitted exhibits—including three pistols, except one—to his laboratory for testing.
Among them was a damaged fired bullet jacket weighing 0.38 grams. His analysis concluded that it had been discharged from a rifle, not the pistols submitted by DCI Central Police Station.
Mwandawiro noted that the pistols examined were of a different calibre and incapable of firing the recovered fragment. He further revealed that a Ceska pistol, listed in IPOA’s exhibit memo, was never submitted to the ballistic laboratory by DCI Central, undermining the chain of evidence.
According to him, the fragment identified as Exhibit IPOA A1 could have originated from several types of rifles commonly used worldwide, such as Russian rifles, Israeli AK-series, or Kenya’s locally manufactured Chalbi rifles.
During cross-examination, Mwandawiro admitted that his findings were inconclusive in linking the fragment to a specific firearm. However, he insisted that it was from live ammunition.
"That bullet must have come from a live round," he said.
His testimony directly challenges earlier claims made in court that no live bullets were fired during the protests that led to the death of 29-year-old Masai.
Murangiri is the alleged prime suspect in the murder of Rex Masai.
The case continues.
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