NAIROBI –
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has broken his silence on the unsolved murder of IEBC ICT manager Chris Msando, calling for a public inquest and revealing that the official case file remains open.
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview on Tuesday night, Dr Matiang’i said he had consistently followed up on the matter while in office but was always told the investigation was still active.
“The incident was reported and I know it the way you know it,” Matiang’i said. “We asked several questions about the matter… The DCI kept saying the file is still open. Even if you’re the President, there’s nothing you can do. You go by what the Police IG tells you.”
Msando’s body was found in July 2017, just days before the general election. His death, alongside that of 21-year-old Carol Ngumbu, shocked the nation and raised serious concerns about election-related violence.
At the time, Matiang’i had just taken over as acting Interior CS following the sudden death of Joseph Nkaissery. On Tuesday, he said that while the government did try to get answers, responsibility lay with investigative authorities.
“We kept asking. I personally followed up. But every time I asked, the answer was the same – the file is still under investigation.”
Despite years of public pressure, no suspects have been charged. The case remains one of Kenya’s most troubling unsolved political crimes.
Now, Matiang’i is pushing for a new path forward.
“Why haven’t we had a public inquest into this matter?” he asked. “I’d gladly appear before any judge to give what I know.”
The remarks come at a time when speculation is growing about Matiang’i’s possible run for president in 2027. He has recently stepped back into the spotlight, sharply criticising the current administration’s handling of unresolved deaths, including the River Yala victims.
Some critics argue that as Interior CS, he had the power to push harder.
“He was in charge. If we didn’t see action then, it’s hard to expect it now,” said political commentator Martin Andati.
Matiang’i, however, insists the process was beyond his control.
“In our system, ministers do not direct investigations,” he said. “That’s the mandate of the police and DCI.”
The families of Msando and Ngumbu are still waiting for justice, eight years later. Whether a public inquest will ever be opened remains to be seen.
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