Former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i has broken his silence over the River Yala Killings that happened during his tenure.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview, Matiang’i said his ministry followed up on the cases until the end of his tenure.
Matiang’i revealed that he escalated the case to the then Inspector General of Police, Hillary Mutyambai, who advised that the families needed to positively identify the bodies to establish the truth.
“The DCI required families to positively identify the bodies to establish the circumstances of their deaths. By the time we left the office, the file was still open as investigations were ongoing. I didn’t leave with the file; it was a police matter,” he said.
Matiang’i stated that blaming him for the deaths was politically motivated, likening it to holding him responsible for unrelated incidents such as road accidents or robberies.
“If I were responsible for a crime that was committed by a police officer when I was Minister for Interior, then I’m responsible for all road accidents, all robbery with violence cases… It’s just not possible,” said Matiang’i.
He insisted the police acted independently and accused critics of invoking his name selectively.
The former CS said the cases could be resolved if the government initiated a public inquiry to investigate them, adding that he is ready to testify before any judge regarding the incidents.
“I’m ready to go before a magistrate or judge—whatever is going to preside over that inquest—and say what I know about it. Throwing stones for political convenience won’t help. We need accountability,” he added.
Also Read: Matiang’i Addresses Claims Of Being Uhuru’s Project
