Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has broken his silence on one of the most haunting and unresolved chapters of his tenure in government, the mysterious deaths associated with River Yala and he did so with a boldness that has left many Kenyans talking.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live program, Matiang’i came out swinging against those who have linked him to the deaths, declaring without flinching that the ghosts of River Yala do not haunt him.
The former CS acknowledged the gravity of the matter, noting that the deaths are a serious crime that must be investigated to its furthest end and that everyone involved, regardless of their status or position, must be brought to book.
Matiang’i did not hide behind his former office or political connections. Instead, he made a remarkable statement that few politicians in his position would dare make, saying that if investigations were to point in his direction, he is fully ready to account for his actions.
“If they include me, I am ready to account for it,” he stated calmly, in words that either reflect the confidence of an innocent man or an extraordinary level of political courage perhaps both.
He also pointed out that bodies continued to be discovered in River Yala long after he had left the Interior Ministry, a fact he says should be part of any serious and objective investigation into the matter.
His prescription for resolving not just the River Yala question but also the Ruaraka land saga and concerns over court orders was clear and direct, a public inquest, conducted openly, where the truth can be established before all Kenyans.