Former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i with opposition leaders outside KNH on June 26, 2025. /HANDOUT.Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has, for the first time, responded to calls for investigations into the deaths of individuals allegedly killed and dumped in River Yala during his tenure.
Speaking at Kenyatta National Hospital, where he accompanied Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to visit victims of the Gen Z protests, Matiang’i said there should be an open public inquest into all unresolved murders in the country.
Matiang’i, who has declared his intention to run for president in 2027, emphasised the need for impartial investigations to bring closure and allow the country to move forward.
“We can deal with all the murders that have not been conclusively investigated — whether we start with Musando, then Jacob Juma, Sergeant Kenei, and those found in River Yala,” Matiang’i said.
“Let all these cases be investigated through an open public inquest so we can move forward, explain, and face the public on these matters.”
The former powerful CS under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration lamented that some of the issues being raised were now being circulated on social media with the aim of tarnishing reputations.
“Some of these matters are raised, and we just go round in circles. We cannot have government by blogging — let’s address the real issues affecting our people,” he said.
Referencing the killings that occurred during the June 25, 2024, protests, Matiang’i said the country needed to hold an open inquiry to understand what led to the storming of Parliament.
“We’ve swept too much under the carpet. It’s time to lift
that carpet and be honest about how we need to live as a country,” he said.
Reflecting on past incidents during his time as Interior CS, Matiang’i acknowledged that the government then admitted mistakes in handling deadly protests and initiated reforms to address them.
“When things happened in Kisumu involving Baby Pendo and in Kianjokoma with the two brothers, there was an admission by us, as officials in government, that mistakes were made. That’s where the process began, and we tasked the relevant institutions to do their job and ensure those found culpable were held accountable,” he said.
“There are many stories around these incidents that must be
addressed openly and honestly. Let us not continue sweeping things under the
carpet.”
