Rex Masai's family lawyer, Mwangi Chege, addresses the press following the closure of the inquest file of the late Rex Masai before principal magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo at Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi, on September 7, 2026. The case is set for mention on September 24, 2026/LEAH MUKANGAI
The inquest into the death of 29-year-old Gen-Z protester Rex Masai has closed after a forensic expert testified that CCTV footage presented to the court showed no signs of manipulation.
Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Senior Assistant Director of Forensics Joshua Mutua told Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo on Monday that a digital examination of the footage found no evidence of deletion, alteration or editing.
Mutua said the footage had been retrieved by IPOA using a USB flash disk before undergoing forensic examination.
“The videos were subjected to digital forensic analysis, and no form of deletion, alteration or editing was detected,” Mutua told the court.
He further told the magistrate that the digital evidence presented during the proceedings remained in its original form.
“The videos and all digital evidence presented before the inquest were as originally captured, without any form of intentional manipulation,” he said.
Mutua also told the court that the footage was internally consistent in its temporal sequence and visual continuity.
He said the one-minute-and-15-second video was recorded on June 20, 2024, beginning at 7.18pm.
The expert said his examination found no technical or intentional changes to the recording.
“Your Honour, I further found that no technical of intentional altercation, insertion, deletion, duplication, splicing, or rearrangement of video content was identified during the examination,” Mutua said.
He added that he had signed the reviewed file footage certificate on July 31, 2026.
The testimony marked the final stage of an inquest that has taken two years. The proceedings heard evidence from 30 witnesses, while 48 exhibits were presented before the court.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Director Jalson Makori, informed the court that it was closing the inquest after calling its witnesses.
The proceedings followed Masai’s fatal shooting during the Anti-Finance Bill protests in June 2024. The inquest has been examining the circumstances surrounding his death.
Evidence presented during the proceedings included photographs and video footage relating to a police officer identified as the main suspect, Isaiah Murangiri Ndumba.
A protected witness, identified as GG, previously told the court that she had identified similarities between photographs she captured during the protests and the officer.
She pointed to features including clothing, wristbands and other items visible in the photographs.
Murangiri, however, denied that he was the person captured in the images.
During one session, the court was shown photographs of a civilian officer wearing a black cap, a dark grey short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, a black mask and white sports shoes while holding a walkie-talkie.
The witness also highlighted two wristbands visible in the photographs.
The family of the deceased and the National Police Service were represented by Law Society of Kenya lawyer Mwangi Chege, who did not object to the closure of the inquest.
With oral evidence concluded, parties will file written submissions before the magistrate makes his determination.
The matter will be mentioned virtually on September 24, 2026, at 11.30am for further directions.
