Rex Masai inquest: Verdict on killers delayed

By  Richard Munguti

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

The killers of Rex Masai will not be identified in the near future as the trial magistrate has set November 4, 2026 as a mention date on which they will fix a day of judgement.

This direction followed a revelation that the exercise of typing the proceedings had not been completed.

Milimani principal magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo on September 24, 2026 told the parties that the exercise of typing the voluminous proceedings is underway.

“You are all aware that the inquest into the death of Rex Masai has taken a while and the hand-written proceedings are voluminous. The typing pool assistants are working around the clock to finish the exercise so that all parties can be given copies,” Mr Onsaringo informed the parties during the virtual mention of the matter.

Mr Onsaringo had directed the matter to be mentioned on Thursday to confirm whether the registry has finished typing the proceedings before a judgement date can be set.

Now that the typing exercise is far from being completed, the magistrate directed another mention be fixed on November 4, 2026 to establish whether the exercise has been completed then a date for final determination be set.

While leading evidence into the killing of Rex during the Gen Z protests against  the 2024/2025 Finance Bill,  prosecutor Jalson Makori presented evidence from a close friend of the deceased who laid bare how the rights activist was felled by police.

George Dikas gave a heart-rending account of how Rex was shot then died shortly thereafter during the chaos that left over 60 demonstrators dead.

Mr Dikas, who had refused to appear in court fearing for his life, narrated how Rex was shot near Absa Bank Queensway Branch within the Central Business District (CBD) on June 20, 2024, around 7 pm, when demonstrators had hesitated to leave town.

Mr Dikas said the Rex and he had joined other demonstrators to protest the impugned 2024/2025 Finance around 4.30pm and walked around town with no arms, no placards, but a mere cellphone.

“I heard three gunshots and shortly thereafter, I noticed Rex who was ahead of me was limping and could not run.”

“I reached to Rex as I was running behind him. I asked him what had happened and he told me he has been shot. I saw blood soaking his pair of jeans,” Mr Dikas recalled.

Added he: “I sat Rex fall down and I approached nearby Uber taxi’s to dash him to hospital but they declined to assist us fearing police. Police also refused to assist us.”

Dikas recalled that three other Gen-Z demonstrators joined him then carried Masai to Bliss Hospital along Moi Avenue.

“The door to the hospital was locked. We forced our way into the hospital and we were led to an examination room by a doctor who upon examining Rex told us he is no more.”

“In a state of confusion, shock and disbelief, I called Rex Masai’s mother and my sister. I told them Rex has been shot and he is no more,” Mr Dikas testified.

He added that police followed them into the hospital to enquire what had happened.

Mr Dikas told the court the doctor who examined Rex told them he has succumbed to the gunshot wound on his left thigh.

Dikas identified Rex and himself in a video clip that was played in court, where demonstrators are seen running away from the police along Mama Ngina Street, Nairobi.

 “I was traumatized to see my very close friend Rex Masai just die like that. I did not want to appear in court to testify before I could heal,” Mr Dikas told the trial magistrate.

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