Gem Member of Parliament Elisha Odhiambo has launched a fresh political storm, announcing plans to take legal action to bar former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i from contesting the 2027 presidential elections. Odhiambo accuses Matiang’i of overseeing extrajudicial killings during the Jubilee administration, particularly the dumping of bodies in River Yala, which he branded an act of “environmental terrorism.”
Speaking to the media, Odhiambo said he is finalizing a petition to the courts aimed at holding Matiang’i personally accountable for alleged state-sanctioned atrocities. “As MP for Gem, I had a meeting with lawyers last night. Having listened to the statement of Matiang’i confirming that a number of Kenyans who were butchered were thrown in River Yala, we are going to petition court so that we can hold him culpable as an individual,” said the MP.
During his tenure as Interior CS, Matiang’i was at the helm of Kenya’s internal security apparatus. In a recent interview on Citizen TV, he addressed the River Yala bodies controversy, saying he had escalated the matter to the then-Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai. He added that authorities needed families to positively identify the bodies to proceed with investigations.
Matiang’i made the statement flanked by Makadara MP George Aladwa and Luanda MP Dick Maungu. Both lawmakers defended the former CS, warning against politicizing the country’s security institutions. They also took aim at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of inciting ethnic tensions and undermining the National Intelligence Service and National Police Service.
“…Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has become nothing short of a high priest of hate,” said Aladwa. “He has established a school of division at Wamunyoro, where he is training a new generation of MPs in the dark arts of tribal politics.”
The trio urged politicians to prioritize national unity and avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could destabilize the country. As the 2027 race begins to take shape, the resurfacing of unresolved cases from the past signals turbulent political times ahead.
