Former Nairobi Police Commander Adamson Bungei has denied claims that police opened fire on the night Rex Masai was fatally injured during the Anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests.
Masai, 29, was the first reported fatality in the nationwide demonstrations opposing the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
Speaking at the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Bungei stated that no gunfire occurred during the incident, despite Masai succumbing to a gunshot wound.
During his court testimony, Bungei clarified that at the time of the incident, police officers were unaware of the nature of Masai’s injuries.
“I cannot provide details; there were none. I say this because that was a reaction response. Police deployment is daily, and the police were reacting to the situation. We had the military team; that was a multi-agency response. I’m not aware that the excessive bleeding was due to a wound by a bullet,” Bungei explained.
Nairobi Commander, Adamson Bungei: I’d wish to state that at the time, no police officer knew what kind of injury the victim ( Rex Masai Kanyike) had sustained and it was only confirmed that it was a gunshot wound when the postmortem examination was done on the 21st.#Mchipuko pic.twitter.com/aLBYxDtvqL
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) February 5, 2025
Bungei, who now serves as the Director of Operations at the police headquarters, emphasized that neither he nor any of the officers on the ground knew that Masai had been shot. He pointed out that the cause of death was only confirmed after a postmortem examination conducted on June 21, 2024.
“I’d wish to state that at the time, no police officer knew what kind of injury the victim (Rex Masai Kanyike) had sustained, and it was only confirmed that it was a gunshot wound when the postmortem examination was done on the 21st of June. We can confirm this by the doctor’s report,” he added.
The court proceedings are ongoing as the family of Rex Maasai seeks justice for their loss.
Rex’s death
Rex Masai was fatally shot outside the Hilton Hotel along Moi Avenue in Nairobi on the evening of June 20, at around 7 pm. The incident happened as he was walking home with a friend. According to reports, a rogue police officer fired live rounds into the crowd, striking Masai.
The bullet remained lodged in his body, causing severe internal bleeding that led to his death.
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