Matiang’i Responds To Ruto’s Attacks Over Past Extrajudicial Killings

Jubilee Party leader and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has challenged President William Ruto to use his executive powers to order a thorough investigation into the River Yala bodies rather than exploiting the issue for political mileage.

Speaking during a radio interview in Mombasa on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Matiang’i responded directly to recent accusations by President Ruto, who criticized the former CS for lecturing the current administration on accountability despite allegations that individuals were killed and dumped in River Yala during his tenure at Harambee House.

Matiang’i, who has declared his intention to challenge Ruto for the presidency in 2027, rejected the President’s attempt to distance himself from the security policies of the former administration under President Uhuru Kenyatta. He pointed out that Ruto served as Deputy President throughout that period and was a key member of the National Security Council (NSC).

“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 asked.

He emphasized that the NSC—which brings together the President, Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries for Defence, Interior, Finance, and Foreign Affairs, alongside the Attorney General and heads of security agencies—receives routine high-level intelligence briefings. Consequently, Matiang’i argued, Ruto cannot credibly claim ignorance regarding the security situation at the time, adding that as the current Commander-in-Chief, he has full authority to institute formal inquiries and act on the matter.