Matiang'i reveals why Chris Msando murder, River Yala saga still remain unsolved

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has broken his silence on some of the most high-profile unresolved cases during his time in office, including the discovery of bodies in River Yala and the murder of then Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ICT Manager Chris Msando, a week before the 2017 General Election. 

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Citizen TV aired on Tuesday, Matiang’i clarified that his ministry followed up on the cases until the end of his tenure, adding that the matters were still being actively pursued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) by the time of his exit.

Addressing the River Yala incident where over 30 bodies were retrieved, Matiang'i revealed that he escalated the case to then- Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, who informed them that they needed the families to 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,” he explained.

"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 were ongoing. I didn’t leave with the file, it was a police matter.”

On the unresolved murder of Msando, again, the former CS maintained that the case remained open until after his tenure.

“The incident was reported and I know it the way you know it. We asked several questions about the matter," he noted.

"There were several cases, such as Jacob Juma, Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei (which) were also under investigation. The DCI kept saying the file is still open, even if you're the President, there's nothing you can do. You go by what the Police IG tells you."

According to Matiang'i, the said cases would be solved if the government opens a public inquest to probe them, citing that he is ready to testify before any judge over the incidents.