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A senior police officer in charge of the Central Police station armory has dismissed claims of a cover-up in the firearms register. In the Rex Masai murder inquest, the Fredrick Okapesi insisted that inconsistencies in the records were not an attempt to conceal the truth.
Testifying in court, the officer acknowledged that the register contained errors, explaining that the documents are manually generated and therefore prone to mistakes. He said that where an error occurs in good faith, officers are allowed to use correction methods such as striking through or applying a blackwash.
“There was no attempt to hide the truth,” Okapesi said, adding that no demonstrations took place on June 19, the day before Masai was fatally shot.
Masai died on June 20 during anti-tax protests in Nairobi.
Despite the inconsistencies, the officer maintained that the firearms register remained a credible record and urged the court to rely on it in determining the case.
The armory officer at Nairobi’s Central Police Station told the court that firearms were only issued to officers following proper procedure, dismissing claims that weapons may have been irregularly handed out during the anti-government demonstrations.
Okapesi , while responding to questions on firearm records acknowledged an oversight involving a Corporal Githinji. He explained that he initially thought he had erased Githinji’s signature but later found it still appeared on the register. However, he maintained that he would never have allowed any officer to take a weapon without signing for it.
Regarding Constable Isaiah Murangiri, the officer testified that records show he was issued with a firearm on June 20, 21, and 22.
He stressed that no other officer is authorized to issue firearms at Central Police Station and that his records did not reflect Murangiri being issued with a weapon on June 18, as had been suggested.
The witness further explained that Murangiri was issued with a launcher used to fire rubber bullets and canisters, tools meant for crowd control.
“The arms register presented in court for that week is accurate,” he said, insisting that no live rounds were issued or used during the protests.
When shown a picture purportedly of Murangiri holding a launcher, the officer said the image was not clear. However, he confirmed that the records for June 20 indicated Murangiri had indeed been assigned a launcher.
“Yes, I’m the one who assigned it—that’s my signature,” he testified.
The officer also clarified that the maandamano operations were not handled by Central Police Station alone, as sister stations were also involved.
Murangiri is the main suspect in the murder of Masai, who was shot dead in Nairobi CBD on June 20, 2024.
©Citizen Digital, Kenya
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- The officer maintained that the firearms register remained a credible record and urged the court to rely on it in determining the case.
A senior police officer in charge of the Central Police station armory has dismissed claims of a cover-up in the firearms register. In the Rex Masai murder inquest, the Fredrick Okapesi insisted that inconsistencies in the records were not an attempt to conceal the truth.
Testifying in court, the officer acknowledged that the register contained errors, explaining that the documents are manually generated and therefore prone to mistakes. He said that where an error occurs in good faith, officers are allowed to use correction methods such as striking through or applying a blackwash.
“There was no attempt to hide the truth,” Okapesi said, adding that no demonstrations took place on June 19, the day before Masai was fatally shot.
Masai died on June 20 during anti-tax protests in Nairobi.
Despite the inconsistencies, the officer maintained that the firearms register remained a credible record and urged the court to rely on it in determining the case.
The armory officer at Nairobi’s Central Police Station told the court that firearms were only issued to officers following proper procedure, dismissing claims that weapons may have been irregularly handed out during the anti-government demonstrations.
Okapesi , while responding to questions on firearm records acknowledged an oversight involving a Corporal Githinji. He explained that he initially thought he had erased Githinji’s signature but later found it still appeared on the register. However, he maintained that he would never have allowed any officer to take a weapon without signing for it.
Regarding Constable Isaiah Murangiri, the officer testified that records show he was issued with a firearm on June 20, 21, and 22.
He stressed that no other officer is authorized to issue firearms at Central Police Station and that his records did not reflect Murangiri being issued with a weapon on June 18, as had been suggested.
The witness further explained that Murangiri was issued with a launcher used to fire rubber bullets and canisters, tools meant for crowd control.
“The arms register presented in court for that week is accurate,” he said, insisting that no live rounds were issued or used during the protests.
When shown a picture purportedly of Murangiri holding a launcher, the officer said the image was not clear. However, he confirmed that the records for June 20 indicated Murangiri had indeed been assigned a launcher.
“Yes, I’m the one who assigned it—that’s my signature,” he testified.
The officer also clarified that the maandamano operations were not handled by Central Police Station alone, as sister stations were also involved.
Murangiri is the main suspect in the murder of Masai, who was shot dead in Nairobi CBD on June 20, 2024.
©Citizen Digital, Kenya
Continue reading...
