President William Ruto's senior advisor on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights, Makau Mutua, has slammed Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-Kenya counterpart Eugene Wamalwa for criticising the government's initiative to compensate victims of anti-government protests.
In a statement on Saturday, August 9, Kalonzo and Wamalwa questioned the legal framework of the compensation framework, which will compensate the victims of protests and riots from January 1, 2017, to July 31, 2025.
In response, Makau claimed that the two leaders should refrain from politicising and opposing every government initiative and join the “noble effort” to support individuals affected by recent anti-government demonstrations.
Mutua further claimed that the two leaders and other opposition leaders should also offer other substantial solutions on how families and victims can be supported.
"I have seen a statement by my friends claiming that the Government of Kenya cannot establish a compensation mechanism for victims of protests and riots. They couldn’t be more wrong," Mutua said.
"I suggest that my two learnt brothers—Mr Musyoka and Mr Wamalwa—find a better argument to oppose our noble efforts to heal the nation or exercise their conscience and join us in the only viable path for responding to the victims, their families, and loved ones," he added.
Mutua, in a statement on Saturday, August 9, argued that transitional justice strategies, including victim compensation, are being executed by governments globally. As an example, Mutua cited the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was established to address historic human rights violations against Black Africans in South Africa.
"TRC was set up by the Government of National Unity to help deal with what happened under apartheid. As we know, the apartheid era was marked by the most unspeakable misuse and human rights violations meted out, especially on black African people," Mutua said.
Mutua was appointed by President Ruto to lead the framework for coordinating the compensation of victims of protests and riots.
In a statement on Friday, August 8, the president confirmed that the framework would last for 120 days from the date of the announcement. The team would comprise members from his office, the Office of the Attorney General, the Treasury, and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as other relevant state agencies.
"I, William Samoei Ruto, President and Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, in exercise of the authority vested in me, do hereby establish a coordinating framework for compensation of victims of protests and riots," the president said.
However, in response, Kalonzo and Wamalwa claimed that members of the executive cannot be trusted to execute the framework, and it should instead be handled by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
“Through the shoot-to-kill and shoot-in-the-leg orders, can they be the ones responsible for redress and compensation of their own victims of police brutality? A wolf cannot decide the matters of a cow or crow," Kalonzo said.
