The hearing into the death of Rex Masai was postponed on Monday, March 10, after a key witness requested more time to present important documents in court.
Rex was killed on June 24, 2024, on Tom Mboya Street during the Gen Z protests, which were calling for better governance in the country.
The proceedings were expected to continue with a testimony from a police officer, but he failed to appear in court.
Fredrick Ole Tepes, the armourer from Central Police Station, was scheduled to testify before a civilian witness.
Since the civilian’s testimony was to come after the police officer’s, the hearing was postponed to March 13 and 14.
Lawyer Mwangi Chege from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), who is representing Rex's family, said they would ensure justice is served to prevent security officers from using firearms against unarmed protesters in the future.
“We will make sure that no police officer or security personnel ever uses live bullets on civilians exercising their rights. Every citizen has the right to protest, picket, and associate,” Chege said.
The case will continue over two days, with the police officer, the civilian witness, and an activist set to testify.
The armourer is expected to explain how firearms were handled on the day Rex was shot, to determine who used the gun that killed him.
Former Nairobi police commander Adamson Bungei and former Nairobi Central Police commander told the court that there was no official order for the operation that day, making it difficult to identify which officers were deployed in the area where Rex was shot along Tom Mboya Street.
“When there is a peaceful demonstration, no citizen should be killed. The police should use their weapons responsibly and not harm unarmed civilians,” Chege said.
The presiding magistrate approved the postponement but warned against unnecessary delays, urging the witness to be fully prepared for the next hearing.
