River Yala Killings: DNA confirms identities of 10 victims as IPOA submits report

The identities of 10 people whose bodies were retrieved from River Yala have finally been established through DNA analysis, with IPOA submitting its findings to a government panel preparing to compensate families affected by human rights violations.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) handed over its preliminary report to the Panel of Experts on Tuesday, November 10, detailing the identification exercise and investigations into the deaths that sparked national outrage after the bodies were discovered in Siaya County.

IPOA chairperson Duncan Ojwang presented the report to the panel's chairperson, Professor Makau Mutua, at the authority's offices in Nairobi, following a formal request for information on victims of extrajudicial killings recorded between 2013 and 2026.

The request, made on October 27, came after President William Ruto directed the government to extend compensation to families affected by human rights violations, including those whose relatives were found dead in River Yala.

Giving an account of the identification process, Ojwang said the authority had engaged families of missing persons and collected DNA samples to establish whether their relatives were among the bodies recovered from the river.

“IPOA had witnessed 25 bodies, met and processed DNA matching of some family members to identify the bodies, with 10 bodies positively matching the DNA after considering 82 family members,” he said.

The exercise established matches for 10 bodies, while the other 15 were buried without their identities being confirmed.

Ojwang also disclosed that IPOA had completed its investigations and forwarded the findings to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for consideration.

However, the ODPP directed that the file be sent back to the police for additional investigations to establish whether there was evidence linking particular individuals to the deaths.

Explaining the reason for submitting the findings to the compensation panel, Ojwang said the authority wanted the victims' identities and investigation records made available to support the next stage of the process.

“We want to hand over the file on who the victims were and IPOA's findings so that the panel can process the rest of the information for the sake of justice,” he said.

The River Yala case came into the national spotlight in January 2022 when several bodies were discovered in the river, some bearing visible signs of physical injuries.

The discoveries prompted IPOA to investigate possible police involvement in the deaths, as well as allegations of enforced disappearances.

The latest development is linked to the government's expanded compensation programme announced by President Ruto on October 7, which initially focused on victims of demonstrations but was extended to cover other categories of human rights violations.

During the commissioning of the Raila Odinga Mausoleum in Bondo, Siaya County, the President announced that Sh2 billion had been set aside for the exercise.

Ruto said the allocation would benefit families of people who died through extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, including victims whose bodies were recovered from River Yala.

He pledged that compensation would be directed to verified victims and their families as the government sought to address historical human rights abuses.

Meanwhile, Mutua revealed that the panel had already made payments to more than 700 people who sustained injuries and families affected by 236 fatality cases.

The panel has also concluded more than 140 claims involving economic losses and 16 cases of sexual violence.

IPOA's report is expected to provide the panel with information needed to verify the River Yala victims and assess claims submitted by their families.

Despite the progress towards compensation, the question of criminal accountability remains unresolved. Further police investigations are still required following the ODPP's directive to establish whether anyone should be held responsible for the deaths.