Gillian Munyao, mother of Rex Masai, a 29-year-old, who was shot during an anti-tax protest in Nairobi has emotionally described the pain of losing her son in a moving tribute.
On July 4, 2924, friends and family gathered for Rex’s requiem mass held at St Stephens Catherdral Jogoo Road as they remembered and celebrated his life.
Sharing her last words to her son, Munyao recounted her profound memories of Rex and fondly recalled the precious moments breastfeeding and witnessing his first steps, cherishing him as her bundle of joy.
“Rex, the strength of my youth, my first feeling as a mother sleepaway taker, but it was for joy. I remember my first feeling breastfeeding you, you were my bundle of joy. I remember our first milestones, tembea baba, tembea, and you were looking back at me smiling. You taught me to be a teacher, a lawyer, stepping in when you were hurt by anyone,” Munyao remarked.
Additionally, Munyao expressed her sorrow over Rex’s sudden departure and the tragic circumstances surrounding his death at the hands of a police officer.
She painfully remembered the injustice of Rex’s tragic end adding that it would be a hard task to overcome.
“Here you are teaching me to leave without you, Rex why? You left me with no words, only to find a call and find you lifeless. I know you told God in the process, after that policeman shot you, as he watched you die slowly, blood draining out of you,” she added
“Sincerely, this is more than labour pains. May the Lord teach me how to delete your number from my phone. Goodnight my teacher..Goodnight Rex till we meet again.”
How Rex met his death
Masai was allegedly shot dead by a rogue police officer during the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests.
In an interview, Munyao talked about her son’s last moments revealing that a friend of Rex called her and told her about the tragic incident. Rex and his friends had planned to meet at Afya Centre in case of trouble.
“I was called and told that he was shot and taken to a hospital near Kenya National Archives. I got to town and found out that he was no more. His friend called me using his phone. They were from work and had passed by town and had informed each other of their meeting point at Afya Centre,” Munyao said.
The group of friends were near the Kenya National Archives when teargas were lodged by the police.
Further Munyao said that her son’s friends had to run for dear life, and after the police had left, one of the friends returned and found Rex bleeding. A passerby then helped carry him to the hospital.
“They were standing somewhere near Archives I do not know where. Teargas were thrown at them and they ran away. His friends had to run for their lives. They were running for their lives. After that, that is when one friend turned to check on him and found that he was bleeding. He called a passerby who called the police to rush him to the hospital using an ambulance, and the police said, ‘let him die there,” Munyao added.