The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has initiated an investigation into the fatal shooting of Rex Kanyike Masai, a protester who was killed on Thursday evening in Nairobi.
Rex succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at a medical facility in the Central Business District (CBD) after being shot in the left thigh by an anti-riot police officer.
In response to the Anti-Finance Bill protests that have swept across the country this week, IPOA commended the protesters for maintaining peace and avoiding harm to other civilians or property.
“The authority calls for continued restraint by the police and urges members of the public to remain peaceful and act within the confines of the law,” IPOA stated.
Meanwhile, activist Boniface Mwangi explained his decision to share photos of Rex’s body, highlighting the police violence during the Reject Finance Bill protests.
Mwangi took to his social media platforms to share images of Rex’s lifeless body, aiming to expose the actions of the police against unarmed protesters.
“I’m sharing pictures of 24-year-old Rex Kanyike lying in the morgue with consent from his parents, Chrispin Odawa and Gillian Munyao, who are standing over his body at the City Mortuary. He was killed by the police this evening. They are shocked and numb from the loss of their son,” Mwangi wrote on X.
This post elicited mixed reactions, with one user criticizing Mwangi for sharing the photos, especially with the victim’s parents in the background.
Mwangi responded to the criticism by explaining his intention behind sharing the photos.
“Let me take @jeanbrendah to school because of her tweet calling me sick for taking Rex’s photo in the morgue. There was a young man called Emmet Till who was kidnapped and murdered after being accused of whistling at a white woman.
“Emmet Till’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, made the courageous decision to have an open casket funeral. This bold move came at a time of high racial tensions, revealing the brutal reality of what had happened to Emmet. The open casket allowed the world to witness the vicious attack on this innocent young man,” Mwangi wrote.
Mwangi, a leading figure in the Reject Finance Bill protests, continued to draw parallels between Rex’s case and Emmet Till’s.
“Emmet Till’s body was severely disfigured from the violence he endured. His mother wanted people to see the horror of what had happened to her son and the reality of racial violence. The funeral was attended by thousands, including many who had never seen such a brutal example of racial violence.
“The open casket was a wake-up call to the world, showing that this kind of violence was not just a one-time occurrence but a reality that was happening all too often. Tell Zakayo Rex is our Emmet Till! #JusticeForRex.”
