Matiang'i speaks for the first time about River Yala bodies

In a recent statement, the former Interior Cabinet Secretary has broken his silence on the unresolved issue of the bodies discovered in River Yala, urging a public inquiry to bring the facts to light.

While distancing himself from the direct police command, Matiang’i said that the matter was under investigation when he left office. 

He claimed that the current administration had politicised the issue, claiming that current public officials claim a CS has no direct command of the police, yet blame him for the scandal. 

The former minister provided a timeline of the events that transpired in 2021 following a media report on the grim discoveries. 

He stated that he had promptly tasked the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) with investigating the matter. 

Subsequently, he said, an inquest was demanded at a meeting of the National Security Council.

He elaborated on the initial steps taken by the police, which focused on identifying the families of the victims to piece together the circumstances of their disappearance and the eventual discovery of their bodies in the river.

The former CS expressed his readiness to testify before a judge in a public inquest, which he believes is the most objective way to address the matter. 

He voiced his disapproval of the tendency to leverage security issues for political advantage, warning against the damaging effects of making unsubstantiated claims.

He emphasised the need for all unresolved cases to be subjected to thorough and open investigations, handled within their proper context. 

River Yala Mystery

The grim discovery of numerous unidentified bodies in the River Yala, which came to national attention in early 2022, remains a dark and largely unresolved chapter in Kenya's recent history. 

The case raised serious questions about extrajudicial killings, the efficacy of police investigations, and the state of human rights in the country.

At the time, Fred Matiang’i was the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and was accused of overseeing the atrocities. 

A Gruesome Timeline of Discovery

Between July 2021 and January 2022, a horrifying series of discoveries were made along the banks of the River Yala in Siaya County. 

Over 30 bodies were retrieved from the river, many showing signs of torture, bound with ropes, and placed in sacks. The consistent nature of the disposals pointed towards an organised and systematic effort.

Local residents, particularly diver Nicholas Okero, who was instrumental in retrieving many of the bodies, brought the issue to national prominence. 

Human rights organisations, notably Haki Africa and Amnesty International Kenya, quickly amplified these concerns, visiting the area and documenting the disturbing findings.

Conflicting Numbers and an Overwhelmed Morgue

In the initial stages, there were conflicting reports on the exact number of bodies recovered. 

While human rights activists and local sources cited over 30 bodies, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) initially reported a lower number. 

The Yala Sub-County Hospital mortuary was soon overwhelmed, leading to the burial of some of the unidentified bodies in a mass grave to create more space.

Calls for a Thorough and Independent Investigation

The gruesome nature of the discoveries sparked outrage and widespread calls for a comprehensive and independent investigation. 

Human rights groups demanded that the then-Cabinet Secretary for the Interior, Dr. Fred Matiang'i, order public post-mortems for each body. 

They also called for the operationalisation of the National Coroners Service Act of 2017, which would establish an independent body to investigate such deaths, thereby removing the police as the primary investigators in cases where they themselves might be implicated.

In response to the public outcry, the DCI dispatched a special forensic team from Nairobi to conduct post-mortems and collect DNA samples from the bodies to aid in their identification. 

The police also announced that they had increased surveillance along the River Yala to prevent further dumping of bodies.

A Stalled Investigation and Allegations of Extrajudicial Killings

Despite the initial flurry of activity, the investigation into the River Yala bodies appears to have stalled, with no official public report on the findings ever being released. This lack of resolution has fueled speculation and accusations of a cover-up.

In March 2023, a report by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) provided a significant, albeit limited, breakthrough. 

The report linked three of the bodies found in River Yala to individuals who were last seen alive in the custody of police officers in Nairobi's Dandora and Dagoreti areas, strengthening the claims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

Further adding to the concerns, a January 2023 report by Human Rights Watch stated that Kenyan authorities had failed to adequately investigate the discovery of the bodies, despite the significant public interest and the gravity of the situation. The report highlighted a pattern of impunity and a lack of accountability for serious human rights violations.

The Victims and Their Grieving Families

For the families of those who had gone missing, the discovery of the bodies in River Yala brought a new wave of anguish and a desperate search for answers. 

While some families were able to identify their loved ones through the painstaking process of DNA matching, many of the bodies remained unidentified. 

The stories of the identified victims often revealed that they were young men who had been picked up by individuals believed to be police officers. 

The families' quests for justice have been fraught with challenges, with little official communication or progress in holding the perpetrators accountable.

The River Yala story is not an isolated incident but part of a broader and deeply concerning pattern of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Kenya. 

The lack of a conclusive investigation and the failure to bring those responsible to justice continue to cast a long shadow over the nation's commitment to human rights and the rule of law. 

The recent statement by former CS Matiang'i, claiming that investigations were ongoing when he left office, only serves to highlight the enduring questions and the urgent need for transparency and accountability.