The evidence was presented during the inquest into the death of Rex Masai, a protester who was shot dead along Moi Avenue during the demonstrations.
Call records link officer to Nairobi CBD
Safaricom Senior Manager Zachary Kirogoi Mburu told Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo that the company released data linked to three phone numbers after receiving two court orders.
The numbers belonged to Isaiah Murangiri, Benson Kamau, and Michael Oginga Okello.
According to Mburu, the records showed that the lines were active between June 18 and June 20, 2024.
The data showed the phones connected to several Safaricom masts within Nairobi’s CBD, including Kencom, Accra House, Wincer House, St. Ellis, KBC Towers, and Hill Town.
Safaricom explains mobile tracking data
Mburu explained that mobile phones connect automatically to the nearest available network mast within a coverage area.
He told the court that a subscriber can remain in one location while different masts capture signals depending on network availability.
The prosecution argued that the call records challenged Murangiri’s earlier testimony that he stopped using the phone number about a year before the protests.
Ballistics expert gives evidence
The court also heard testimony from a DCI forensic ballistics expert.
Senior Superintendent Alex Mudindi Mwandawiro told the court that IPOA submitted a damaged copper bullet jacket for examination on July 1, 2024.
He identified the fragment as part of a 5.56mm rifle round that had hit a hard surface, causing damage and loss of the bullet core.
Bullet fragment fails to match firearms
Mwandawiro said investigators compared the fragment with several firearms provided for testing.
The weapons included three pistols from the DCI armoury.
However, the expert found no match between the bullet fragment and the firearms examined.
He added that the Ceska F7226 pistol mentioned in IPOA documents was not among the weapons provided for analysis.
Police and wildlife rifles, including Chalbi models and AK-101 rifles, were also ruled out because they use different calibres.
Court hears ballistic evidence was inconclusive
The expert concluded that the ballistic examination did not provide a definite link between the bullet fragment and the firearms tested.
He said the results remained inconclusive because the available weapons did not match the bullet jacket.
Rex Masai inquest continues
The case will be mentioned again on September 25, 2025, when more witnesses are expected to testify.
The inquest is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Rex Masai, who was killed during anti-Finance Bill protests in June 2024.
Investigators have relied on mobile phone records, ballistic analysis, and witness accounts to establish what happened during the incident.
