By Kennedy Nalyanya
The discovery of numerous bodies in Kenya's River Yala has sparked a national outcry and raised serious questions about human rights and police accountability. The timeline of events, from initial reports to high-level political intervention, paints a troubling picture of alleged extrajudicial killings.
The first reports of bodies being retrieved from the river emerged between July 2021 and January 2022. Local residents and human rights organizations, including Haki Africa and Amnesty International Kenya, drew attention to the disturbing trend. A key figure, diver Nicholas Okero, publicly stated he had recovered multiple bodies.
By January 2022, the situation had escalated. The National Police Service initially claimed only 19 bodies had been found over the previous two years, a figure quickly disputed by activists. Families began identifying victims, noting signs of torture such as tied hands and deep cuts, which fueled public concern. The Yala Sub-County Hospital morgue became overwhelmed, highlighting the scale of the tragedy.
In response, Amnesty International Kenya called for an independent post-mortem and a parliamentary inquiry. The call was followed by a formal forensic investigation in February 2022, with a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) team initiating post-mortem examinations and DNA testing to identify the victims.
The full scope of the tragedy became clearer by December 2022, with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) confirming that a total of 36 bodies had been recovered from the river. Preliminary investigations by IPOA suggested a chilling pattern: the victims were likely killed by the same perpetrators.
The case took a significant turn with a high-level political response. President William Ruto disbanded the DCI's Special Services Unit (SSU), linking the unit to extrajudicial killings and ordering a full investigation. By this time, IPOA confirmed that 19 of the bodies had been identified through DNA analysis and claimed by their families, providing some closure amid the ongoing search for justice and accountability. The mystery of the River Yala bodies remains a subject of intense scrutiny and a stark reminder of the challenges facing Kenya's human rights landscape.
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