NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has spoken publicly for the first time about some of the most controversial and unresolved criminal cases under his tenure — including the murder of IEBC ICT manager Chris Msando and the discovery of dozens of bodies in River Yala.
In a televised interview with Citizen TV aired on Tuesday night, Matiang’i maintained that his ministry actively pursued the cases to the end of his term, but the responsibility for concluding investigations ultimately lay with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the office of the Inspector General of Police.
“I didn’t leave with the file; it was a police matter,” Matiang’i stated.
Commenting on the River Yala tragedy, where more than 30 decomposing bodies were retrieved from the river in early 2022, Matiang’i said he escalated the matter to then-Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai.
“We asked the Police IG, and it was agreed that the DCI should spend some time there,” he explained. “When they came back, we demanded an inquest.”
According to him, investigations stalled due to the need for victim identification.
“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,” he added.
On the murder of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ICT manager Chris Msando — who was found tortured and killed days before the 2017 General Election — Matiang’i said he was kept updated but had no direct control over the investigation.
“The incident was reported and I know it the way you know it. We asked several questions about the matter,” he said.
He mentioned that other high-profile killings, including those of businessman Jacob Juma and Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, also remained unresolved when he left office, with the DCI maintaining that investigations were ongoing.
“Even if you’re the President, there’s nothing you can do. You go by what the Police IG tells you,” Matiang’i said.
The former CS, who left government in 2022 following a change in administration, said the best path forward would be for the state to open public inquests into the cases. He expressed willingness to testify if summoned.
“These cases can be resolved. I’m ready to testify before any judge over the incidents,” he said.
