Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee Party leader Fred Matiang’i has turned the spotlight on President William Ruto over the unresolved River Yala bodies saga, challenging him to stop raising questions about the deaths and instead use his powers to establish what happened.
Matiang’i made the remarks on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, during a radio interview in Mombasa, where he responded to renewed political criticism surrounding bodies recovered from River Yala during his tenure as Interior Cabinet Secretary.
The former CS argued that Ruto cannot portray himself as an outsider to the security decisions of the period because he served as Deputy President and was a member of the National Security Council (NSC) at the time.
According to Matiang’i, the NSC was the country’s highest security decision-making organ and brought together senior government officials and heads of security agencies.
He questioned how major security incidents could occur without members of the council being briefed.
“We served alongside him on the National Security Council for all those years, and now he is the President. How can he ask questions about the people who were killed and dumped in the Yala River instead of taking action himself?” Matiang’i said.
Matiang’i tells Ruto to use his powers
Matiang’i further pointed out that Ruto is now the chairman of the National Security Council, giving him the constitutional authority and state machinery to order investigations into unresolved security matters.
“He is now the president and the chairman of the National Security Council. Shouldn’t he be taking action instead of going to public rallies and claiming that ‘people were killed’? Who killed them?” he posed.
The former CS’s remarks come amid a renewed political debate over the River Yala deaths, which have remained one of the most disturbing unresolved security controversies in Kenya.
Dozens of bodies were recovered from River Yala and surrounding areas between 2021 and 2022, with the discoveries raising questions about possible unlawful killings and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Reports at the time also prompted calls from human rights groups and families of missing persons for thorough investigations.
Matiang’i says he is ready to testify
Matiang’i has repeatedly rejected attempts to place responsibility for the deaths solely on his office, maintaining that the matter was handled through established security and investigative structures.
He has also consistently called for an independent inquiry into the River Yala deaths, saying such a process would allow officials who served in the security sector at the time to account for what they knew.
In September, Matiang’i challenged Ruto to establish a commission of inquiry and said he was prepared to appear before it and testify under oath.
“You can set up a commission of inquiry even at KICC. I am ready to swear with the Bible. I will be the first to arrive there very early in the morning,” he said at the time.
In another interview earlier this year, Matiang’i said he had nothing to hide and maintained that the government had acted after reports of bodies emerged.
He said investigations remained open when he left office in 2022 and argued that the matter should be subjected to a transparent public process to establish the truth.
Matiang’i accuses politicians of exploiting the matter
The former Interior CS also suggested that the River Yala saga was being revived for political reasons as he positions himself for the 2027 presidential contest.
Matiang’i is among the opposition figures positioning themselves ahead of the next General Election, with his political activities intensifying after taking over the leadership of the Jubilee Party.
He accused his political opponents of using the unresolved deaths to damage his reputation rather than supporting an investigation that would establish responsibility.
“What is happening is that they want to politicise a matter they believe will cause the Kenyan people to change their minds about us,” Matiang’i said.
His message to Ruto
Matiang’i’s latest remarks have effectively shifted the political debate from whether the River Yala deaths occurred to who should take responsibility for establishing what happened.
He argued that if the government has information pointing to individuals responsible for the deaths, the appropriate institutions should investigate and take action.
His latest position is also consistent with his earlier calls for a public inquiry, which he says would give all officials who were in government during the period an opportunity to give evidence.
The River Yala controversy continues to attract public attention because several families have never received satisfactory answers about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of their relatives.
For Matiang’i, however, the solution is not another political exchange but an independent process capable of establishing the facts.
He has maintained that he is prepared to face such an inquiry and account for his actions while serving as Interior CS.
Matiang’i’s latest statement
Sharing his position on the matter, Matiang’i has continued to frame the River Yala debate around accountability and the need for those in power to act rather than merely raise questions.
His latest remarks come as the political contest ahead of the 2027 General Election gathers momentum, with opposition leaders increasingly challenging Ruto’s administration over governance, security and accountability.
The renewed exchange over River Yala is therefore likely to remain part of the broader political battle between Ruto and his emerging challengers as the country moves closer to the 2027 elections.
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