Former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i has revealed why controversial deaths during his time remain unresolved. Photo: Courtesy.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, for the first time has disclosed why some of the most high-profile deaths in his tenure have remained unsolved to the date.
During his time in office, over 30 bodies were discovered in River Yala, and the controversial murder of the then ICT Manager of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Chris Msando.
Speaking in a televised interview on Monday, Tuesday July 1, Matiang’i made a clarification that his Ministry followed the cases until he left office, adding that the matters were still actively being pursued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation(DCI), by the left office.
On recovered bodies at River Yala, he further revealed that the case was forwarded to the then Inspector General of Police (IG) Hillary Mutyambai, who informed them that the case required families to first positively identify the bodies to uncover the truth.
“We asked the Police IG, and it was agreed that the DCI should spend some time there. When they came back, we demanded an inquest. However, the DCI required families to positively identify the bodies to establish the circumstances of their deaths. By the time we left office, the file was still open as investigations are ongoing. I didn’t leave with the file, it was a police matter,” he clarified.
The former Interior CS maintained that Msando’s case, Jacob Juma’s murder, and the mysterious death of a body guard attached to the then Deputy President William Ruto, remained open until when he hand over the office. According to him, the slow dragging of the cases by IG and DCI, is the reason the cases have remained unsolved years later.
“The incident was reported and I know it the way you know it. We asked several questions about the matter. There are several other cases which were also under investigation. The DCI kept saying the file is still open, even if you’re the President, there is nothing you can do. You go by what the IG tells you,” Matiang’i further revealed.
His tenure was marred with other death and murder cases yet to be solved including the death of Kianjakoma Brothers, Baby Pendo among others. However according to him, the cases would have been solved, if the government pens a public inquest to probe them, and that he s ready to testify before court over the cases.
