Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has challenged President William Ruto to take action over the unresolved River Yala deaths instead of repeatedly raising the matter at public rallies.
Speaking during an interview with a local station on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Matiang’i said Ruto was a member of the National Security Council as Deputy President during the period when bodies were discovered in and around River Yala.
Matiang’i questioned how alleged security failures could have occurred without the knowledge of senior officials serving on the council.
He noted that the National Security Council, chaired by the President, brings together the Deputy President, key Cabinet secretaries and heads of security agencies.
“Now he is the President and chairman of the National Security Council. How can he ask questions about people who were killed and dumped in River Yala instead of taking action?” Matiang’i said.
The former CS reiterated his call for an independent inquiry into the deaths, saying he was ready to appear before a commission and testify under oath if one was established.
Matiang’i has previously denied responsibility for the deaths and maintained that the River Yala matter was brought before the National Security Council during his tenure, with security agencies tasked with investigating it.
He also questioned what he described as selective attention to unresolved deaths, citing the discovery of bodies at Kericho cemetery and the Shakahola deaths under the current administration.
The former CS said he had undergone investigations since leaving government and maintained that he had nothing to fear from further scrutiny.
The River Yala discoveries became a major security controversy during the former Uhuru Kenyatta administration, with human rights groups and families calling for investigations into possible unlawful killings and accountability for those responsible.
