Rex Maasai inquest: Police boss denies use of live bullets during 2024 Gen-Z protests

Police commandant Doris Mukira, who was in charge of officers deployed from five police stations during last year’s anti-government Gen Z protests, told an inquest on Thursday that no live bullets were fired at demonstrators.

Testifying before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, Ms Mukira said she did not know the number of bullets or firearms issued to the hundreds of officers covering the protests.  

“It is only the individual officers in charge of armories who know the firearms and ammunition issued, according to their registers. From where I stand, I do not know,” Ms Mukira responded.

She told the court that reports from the five Officers Commanding Stations (OCSs) under her jurisdiction indicated that “no single live bullet was fired and all the firearms and ammunition were returned intact.”

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Ms Mukira added that police had been issued with tear gas launchers and batons to manage the demonstrators.

However, she said she could not rule out the use of live bullets altogether, citing the presence of many firearms in the Central Business District (CBD), including those held by licensed private citizens and armed criminals.

She told the court that a firearm was stolen from a police officer manning a forex bureau during the chaos.

Mr Makori asked whether she was aware that spent cartridges had been collected from scenes where demonstrators were reportedly shot.

She acknowledged the reports but added, “Unless the spent cartridges are subjected to ballistic examinations, it cannot be established whether they were fired from a government-issued firearm or not.”

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Ms Mukira claimed that criminal gangs had infiltrated the demonstrations, looted shops and even fired at protesters.

Despite overseeing operations from the command center, she admitted that she did not know the exact number of protestors killed during the demonstrations.

Prosecuting counsel Jalson Makori also asked her whether she knew how many fatalities she recorded between June 17 and June 25, 2024.

“I do not have the number in my report, maybe one or two. Only DCI officers would have the accurate count of those killed during the National Assembly invasion and subsequent protests,” she said, adding that investigative work was under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which was not answerable to her.

Ms Mukira confirmed receiving a report about the June 2024 invasion of Parliament by Gen Z protesters.

Asked if she knew an officer named Isaiah Muragiri, she said no, but added, “Maybe if I see him, I may recall him.”

Also Read: Bungei: Police did not shoot Rex Masai

Magistrate Onsarigo ordered the recall of Mr Muragiri to clarify issues raised by Ms Mukira’s testimony regarding the events of June 20, 2024, the day activist Rex Masai was killed.

Former Central Police Station OCS Martin Shikuku told the court that Mr Muragiri was part of the Alfamine squad deployed in civilian clothes to monitor the protests.

Mr Shikuku denied that Police Constable Muragiri had been issued with a firearm loaded with live bullets, stating instead that he had only been issued with a tear gas launcher.

Mr Makori revealed that 10 more witnesses are lined up to testify in the inquest, which has now entered its second year since the killing of Rex Masai.

Magistrate Onsarigo issued summons for all 10 witnesses to appear when the hearing resumes on July 16, 2025.

The protests culminated in the ouster of several cabinet secretaries following widespread public opposition to the 2024/2025 Finance Act.

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