IPOA said only 10 bodies were positively identified through DNA testing and released to their families for burial, while the remains of the other 15 were interred without being claimed.
Fifteen of the 25 bodies retrieved from River Yala between 2013 and 2025 were buried unclaimed, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has revealed.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, the authority said only 10 bodies were positively identified through DNA testing and released to their families for burial, while the remains of the other 15 were interred without being claimed.
IPOA Chairperson Dr. Duncan Ojwang said the authority had investigated the 25 cases, conducted DNA tests and matched the remains to 10 families. He added that the DNA samples of the unidentified victims had been preserved for possible future identification.
The authority submitted its findings to the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims following a request for information on the River Yala killings.
IPOA had previously forwarded its investigation file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which reviewed the file and directed that it be handed over to police for further investigations.
"We received a letter from the panel to assist with information about the River Yala killings. We were able to answer that call.
