Rex Masai's mother: I believe there is no justice for the poor in Kenya
When Eastleigh Voice met her recently, Gillian shared a story marked by grief, fading hope, and quiet resilience. Her life has never been the same since her son was killed, and she now fears justice may never come, despite an ongoing inquest into his death.
Rex Masai’s name has come to symbolise martyrdom; he was the first casualty of a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests against the 2024 Finance Bill, an event that altered Kenya’s policing landscape forever.
It has been a year since Rex’s life was cut short by a bullet fired from a rogue police officer’s gun, yet his mother, Gillian Munyau, clings to his memory as though he were still alive.
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When Eastleigh Voice met her recently, Gillian shared a story marked by grief, fading hope, and quiet resilience. Her life has never been the same since her son was killed, and she now fears justice may never come, despite an ongoing inquest into his death.
“Since Rex passed away, I don’t think anything can fill the void he left. As the inquest into his case continues, I honestly don’t see any real progress. Still, I hold on to hope for the best outcome,” she said.
“As an ordinary Kenyan, I have no one in high places to speak on behalf of my son,” she added.
She compares the speed at which former Kasipul MP Ong'ondo Were's case was handled compared to Kenyans who have allegedly been killed by police.
“A member of Parliament was shot recently, and within hours, suspects were arrested and charged. But since last year, I’ve seen nothing promising in court. We’re constantly told to come back another day. I feel like I’m being dragged through the judicial process as though I work there,” Gillian said.
She recalled a close and respectful relationship with her son. “Rex and I were very close. He would talk to me whenever something was troubling him. He was a disciplined boy, even though he was at an age where most are expected to be cheeky.”
Rex Masai, who was killed on June 20, 2024 during the anti-Finance Bill protests. (Photo: File)
Like many victims of police brutality, she now wants President William Ruto to publicly assure affected families that justice will be served.
“We want the President and police leadership to speak to us and assure us that this will never happen to another Kenyan, and that we will get justice,” she pleaded.
“They know who killed my son, yet they remain silent. If they truly care about victims, they should unearth and punish those responsible.”
Earlier this month, during the inquest, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central Police Station, Chief Inspector Moses Mutai Shikuku, confirmed that officers under his command were indeed armed on the day Rex was killed.
Shikuku said he was patrolling the Central Business District (CBD) when he received a call from an inspector informing him that a young man had been rushed to Bliss Hospital near the Tom Mboya monument in critical condition.
“Some of the officers were in plain clothes and had been stationed at strategic locations, including Jeevanjee Gardens, University Way, and Globe Roundabout. They were acting under divisional-level directives,” he told the court.
He said he instructed the officer to take charge of the situation and later authorised the transportation of the body after Rex had succumbed to his injuries.
Former Kamukunji OCS Robert Mugo before the Milimani Law court, where he was testifying in an inquest into the murder of Rex Masai. (Carolyne Kubwa)
Among those implicated in the case are police officers Isaiah Muraguri and Benson Kamau. Former Nairobi Regional Police Commander Adamson Bungei, now the Director of Police Operations, has also testified.
Previously, former Kamukunji OCS Robert Mugo told the court that a Kamukunji police vehicle was used to transport two bodies that day as part of a coordinated regional operation. “The vehicle did not act independently; there was coordination from higher up,” he stated.
Mugo said he had deployed 60 officers under his command to secure the lower CBD, covering Ronald Ngala Street, Luthuli Avenue, Afya Centre, and parts of Ngara.
“In my area, everything was calm. The unrest was taking place around Kenyatta Avenue and City Hall, which were outside my jurisdiction,” he said.
Demonstrators during Kenya’s Gen Z protests against the Finance Bill 2024. (Photo: File)
On the day of his death, 29-year-old Rex left home in the morning to join hundreds of young people peacefully protesting the Finance Bill in Nairobi’s CBD under the ‘Occupy Parliament’ banner.
The protesters engaged police in running battles for nearly nine hours, with officers deploying tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to block them from reaching Parliament.
From around 6 pm, the confrontations intensified along City Hall Way, Mama Ngina Street, Moi Avenue, and Kimathi Street. Activist Boniface Mwangi later revealed that Rex was shot by a plain-clothed police officer at around 7 p.m.
“After police shot him, his friend Alex begged them to help carry him. The officers replied, ‘Wacha akufe!’ — ‘Let him die!’” Boniface recounted.
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