Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i might not be part of the 2027 presidential bid after Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo threatened to take legal action against him.
The MP on Thursday, July 3, accused Matiang'i of overseeing a reign of terror that led to the dumping of dozens of tortured bodies in River Yala between 2021 and 2022, hence terming him unfit for the presidency.
In a press statement, the MP revealed plans to initiate legal proceedings aimed at holding Matiang’i personally accountable for the extrajudicial killings.
''Being an MP for Gem Constituency, I have been deeply perturbed by the arrogance and contempt with which the former Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang'i treated the questions in his role as CS in the dumping of bodies into River Yala in Gem Constituency in the run up to the 2022 General Elections,'' the statement read in part.
''Matiang'i was the CS in charge of internal security, and cannot therefore escape accountability. The families of all those who were brutally murdered and dumped in River Yala are yet to get justice as he is walking free without any answer to these very chilling occurrences that took place under his watch,'' the statement continued.
The River Yala tragedy came to light between July 2021 and January 2022 when human rights groups, including Amnesty International, documented the recovery of over 400 bodies, which showed signs of torture, strangulation, and gunshot wounds.
According to Odhiambo, because Matiang'i was the then Interior CS, and no arrests have been made so far, it shows incompetence on his side, and that his failure to act or explain constitutes criminal negligence.
Already, the MP has revealed that plans are underway, including a petition to bar Matiang’i from contesting in the 2027 general election.
Other avenues for accountability that the lawmaker is exploring include summoning him before Parliament and pushing for a public inquiry.
“Further, we are considering putting pressure on the office of the DPP to institute mass murder charges against Matiang'i and all those who worked with him during that particular period, including the members of the SSU police unit that was disbanded by President William Ruto,” the statement by the MP continued.
On his part, Matiang'i, who recently announced interest in the country's top seat, denied any wrongdoing. Speaking during a recent interview on Citizen TV, Matiang'i called for a public inquest and insisted that investigations were ongoing when he left office.
“I didn’t leave with the file. It was a police matter. I’m ready to testify before a judge and say what I know,” he said.
