President William Ruto's senior advisor on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights, Makau Mutua, has criticised opposition leaders for politicising the process of compensating victims of protests.
In a statement on Thursday August 28, the chairperson of the Panel of Experts, which was appointed to lead the compensation process for victims of demonstrations and public protests across the country, accused the opposition of hypocrisy and of trying to stop the process.
“I see the “United Opposition” is filing suits right and left, trying to stop the Panel of Experts from compensating victims of protests and riots. How heartless. Shame on them! This same “Opposition” has been calling for compensation nonstop.
“What has changed now that the government is actually doing it? What do they have for the victims except bilious, toxic, hypocritical, and empty rhetoric? The grief of the victims, their families, and loved ones isn’t a political football," Mutua stated.
Mutua added that the pain of victims and their families should not be used as a political tool by any political leader.
Panel of Experts
The government officially created the panel in a notice signed by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on August 25.
The panel has 120 days to create a plan to identify, verify, and compensate people who were harmed or died during protests and riots since 2017.
President Ruto appointed Mutua as the chair of the panel.
The panel which includes senior legal and human-rights figures has Faith Odhiambo, the president of the Law Society of Kenya, as vice-chair.
Other notable members of the panel include former Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, Irungu Houghton from Amnesty International Kenya, and several attorneys, academics, and figures from civil society.
'Endless' Petitions
Shortly after the appointments were made public, a lawyer filed a petition in the High Court to block the framework and its implementation. The lawyer said the goal of the petition is to examine the legal basis and procedure for the payouts.
This legal challenge, which came just as the panel’s work had begun, has been used by some politicians to question the entire process.
Following his appointment as the coordinator of the task by the president on Friday, August 8, 2025, Mutua promised that the panel would include women, youth, and members of religious groups.
