Former Kamukunji Chief Inspector Robert Mugo has told court that on 20 June 2024, during the anti-finance demonstrations they dealt with looters and criminals.
During the Rex Masai inquest, on Monday, 9 June 2025, OCS Mugo told court that he was instructed to control the lower Central Business District because it was within his jurisdiction where the rioters retreated to from the upper CBD.
Further, OCS Mugo told the court that the demonstrators who moved to lower CBD turned to criminals and committed various crimes including destroying properties.
“Once the demonstrators, looters and rioters were reversed from upper CBD, they found their way towards lower CBD where there are supermarkets and other businesses, and they started looting from the businesses,” OCS Mugo told the court.
He also to the court that some of the rioters had offensive weapons, adding that they handled the situation by arresting some of them who were locked at Kamukunji and Central police stations.
OCS Mugo also stated that, none of the roughly 60 officers deployed on riot duty had firearms insisting that they only had teargas and rungus to calm the rioters.
Notably, he said that none of his officers was in civilian clothes.
Mugo vehemently denied encountering any deaths from the lower CBD and stating that he also did not hear any reported deaths, but one of his officers sustained serious injuries.
“As the OCS that time, I did not encounter any death from the riots, there was none and I did not hear anyone that was killed during the riots in my jurisdiction,” OCS Mugo told the court.
He also informed the court that he had surrendered the Kamukunji police station vehicle to the head office, which he later learned that it was used to transport two bodies to city mortuary that day.
OCS Mugo revealed that he was not aware that Rex Masai was transported in the same vehicle, and he was not aware if the two people taken to the city mortuary were killed during the riots.
He maintained that no death was recorded within his area of jurisdiction.
At the same time, the former Central police station OCS Moses Mutai Shikuku informed court that on that day they deployed officers in both police uniform and civilian clothes.
“Alongside uniformed officers we deploy some with civilian clothes who work under cover,” OCS Shikuku revealed.
However, he stated that there were some officers in civilian clothes that were deployed from head office, and were alerted on the issues of demonstrations for them to communicate smoothly once they kick off.
“The officers carried firearms and they had been issued with live ammunitions as usual in their normal duties,” OCS Shikuku told the court.
He also revealed that police constable Isaiah Murangiri who is one of officers implicated in the fatal shooting of Rex Masai, was among the civilian officers deployed on the material day he was shot.
Additionally, he told court that he also had a long day with his team during the demonstrations stating that they encountered lots of stone throwing where he was also hit with one.
Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, re-called the former Central police station OCPD Doris Mugambi to clarify on matters raised during today’s inquest.
The inquest will proceed on 19 June 2025, at 9am where nine more witnesses are expected to testify.
