Mutua outlines compensation plan for protest victims
The presidential advisor said that he had already engaged members of the committee tasked with overseeing the process and directed them to begin work immediately
President William Ruto’s advisor, Makau Mutua, has shed light on how the recently established compensation framework for victims of protests will be rolled out.
In a video shared on his X account on Saturday, August 16, 2025, Mutua revealed that he had already engaged members of the committee tasked with overseeing the process and directed them to begin work immediately.
The team, made up of technocrats, has been given 120 days to deliver on its mandate.
According to Mutua, the committee will collaborate with a range of agencies and rights groups to compile accurate records of individuals affected by demonstrations since 2017.
Among those expected to play a key role are the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Amnesty International, and the National Police Service (NPS).
“We expect to get a lot of data from IPOA, from Amnesty International, from the Kenyan Human Rights Commission, and of course from the National Police Service. They all have critical records,” Mutua explained.
Once the data is gathered, the committee will move to a verification stage. Mutua said names of identified victims will be published, allowing those missing from the list to submit claims for review.
“We will get those names, verify them, and start compensating almost immediately after the verification process,” he said. “If people do not see their names in the published list, they will be able to come forward and file a claim with us, which we shall then process.”
The framework will run under the Executive Office of the President in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General, the Ministry of Interior, the National Treasury, and other state agencies.
The initiative is seen as a landmark step in transitional justice, seeking to address grievances of families and individuals who have suffered injuries, losses, or fatalities during public demonstrations.
It also comes amid concerns from some rights groups, including KHRC, which recently questioned the government’s role in managing the compensation process.
By establishing a structured approach, the government hopes to not only provide financial relief to victims but also restore public trust in institutions handling justice and accountability.
